Time
1-1.5 hours
Ticket
Included in the cost
Attribute
Architecture / History / Culture / Tradition / Shopping
Chen Clan Academy
4.3
Introduction
Chen Clan Ancestral Hall (Chen Clan Academy)
Built during the Qing Guangxu Reign (1888-1894) by 72 Chen clans from across Guangdong, this complex originally served as a study center for imperial exams. Spanning 15,000㎡, it exemplifies Lingnan architecture through its “three carvings, two sculptures, and one casting
Full-day tour
8-10 hours
Lowest price
160¥ / per
Yong Qing Fang
1st
Shangxiajiu Street
2st
Tao Tao Ju
3st
Chen clan Academy
4st
Beijing road
5st
Canton Tower
6st
Classic one-day tour in Guangzhou
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Traditional Architecture
Chinese Ancestral Halls
materialize Confucian hierarchy. Take Guangzhou’s Chen Clan Academy: its triple halls tier generations. Spirit tablets order seniority (左昭 Zhao/右穆 Mu); courtyard widths mirror imperial exam ranks. At winter solstice sacrifices, scholars received 3kg extra pork—a tangible incentive. Roof beams carved with “Six States Honoring the Premier” preach ambition; “wok-ear” gables encode official status. Now Shenzhen’s Chens project digital clan trees onto halls, transforming ritual space into cultural legacy.
Housing the Guangdong Folk Art Museum, it safeguards 3,000 national treasures like the wood carving Hundred Birds Paying Homage to Phoenix. Italy’s president praised its “divine craftsmanship”; American visitors try lion dance and porcelain painting here, Annual visitors: 2M+.
Spatial Rhythm: 6,400㎡ woodcarved ceilings depict warring Three Kingdoms heroes
Light Play: 2.8m brick sculpture “Heroes Gathering” casts narrative shadows under subtropical sun
Nature Integration: 15m ceramic phoenixes ride winds, while perforated iron panels channel breezes.
UNESCO-listed as “Chinese Baroque”, yet every ornament encodes clan aspirations—rafters density = social status, ridge beasts = imperial exam ranks.
Traditional Architecture
Ancient Chinese Sishu (private schools)
operated in clan halls or courtyards, forming the grassroots foundation of imperial exams. At dawn, children bowed to Confucius portraits before reciting primers like Three Character Classic. Teachers enforced discipline with bamboo rulers; pupils traced red-inked characters 100 times daily. In dim-lit rooms with low windows, ink grinding mixed with cicada hums as small hands practiced brush techniques. Lessons focused on ethics and practical math—land measurement from Nine Chapters. Beijing’s Guozijian site offers ink-grinding experiences, revealing how farm boys pursued scholar-official dreams.
Chinese ancestral reverence manifests as “honoring roots”. Clan halls enshrine spirit tablets with seasonal offerings of wine/fresh fruit. Genealogies chronicle millennia of descendants in strict order. Daily taboos persist: never stand chopsticks in rice (resembles grave incense). Now Shenzhen’s Zhengs livestream rituals, bridging ancient piety with digital age.