Family ancestral temple's Ancestral Temple Story

Lijia Wang Ancestral Temple was built in Yuchi Village, where the geomantic omen is excellent. It was built in the Chongzhen period of the Ming Dynasty. The Wangs here are descendants of Wang Dan, the prime minister of the Northern Song Dynasty. Wang Hu, the father of Wang Dan, was an assistant minister of the Ministry of War in the early years of the Northern Song Dynasty. At the beginning, he once "planted three locust trees in the imperial court and said,' My descendants will have three officials'." This is the great writer Su Dongpo's evaluation of the famous article "San Tang Huai Ming" in "The Views of Ancient China People". In the future, no matter where Wang's descendants migrate, if they build ancestral halls, they should be named after "Sanhuaitang". 1860, the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom peasant army entered Yuchi Village, and saw such a towering ancestral temple, but could not bear to burn it. 1937 Changzhou fell in February, and the Japanese invaders were afraid to blow up such a magnificent ancestral temple. During the Anti-Japanese War, Qian Ju, a scholar from the south of the Yangtze River, took refuge here. Furong Yuejiatang is the settlement of Yue Fei's descendants. Yue ancestral hall is basically well preserved so far, and it can be restored to its original appearance as long as it is rebuilt. In the 1940s, the Japanese captured more than 40 farmers in ancestral halls, and they hung them from beams. Roast them with fire and force them to give up the New Fourth Army. Later, farmers made a hole in the back wall of the ancestral temple, and 40 farmers were able to escape. The Japanese were angry, and in retaliation, they killed three villagers in the west of the ancestral temple. National hatred is still in the hearts of the people of Yuejiatang. 1958 during the great leap forward, a township cadre tried to throw out the ancestral tablet. I just threw a few pieces, and a gust of wind blew through my mouth, and it immediately tilted. In private, the villagers said that their ancestors showed their spirits, punishing evil and promoting good. This statement is certainly not credible. Now it seems that the cold wind caused facial paralysis.

Lushi Ancestral Hall is located in Ding Yan. When it was restored in 2004, it was found that a brick 100 years ago was engraved with the words "Lushi Ancestral Hall". Calligraphy is simple and lovely. Lu's ancestor was Lu Yuanguang of Jinling in the Northern Song Dynasty. Su Dongpo accompanied him all the time. Lu Yuanguang once presented Su Dongpo with a lazy board. Su Dongpo died of illness on the lazy board. The lazy board is a tatami-style recliner with 66 words inscribed on it (written by Changzhou Cangwu satrap Hu Dehui). Lu Xiaoman, a modern talented woman, came from this temple. In 2005, when Mr. Ding, a famous Thai entrepreneur, learned that his ancestors were descendants of brothers Ding and Ding Zongchen in the Northern Song Dynasty in Shuangguifang, Changzhou, he was so excited that he couldn't sleep all night. In March 2006, when Ding saw the genealogy, he was even more excited. Later, Ding led a clan association in Thailand to seek roots in Cheung Chau. When he entered the ancestral temple of Shi Ding in Henglin, the old man burst into tears. He burned incense and prayed devoutly. After Mr. Ding returned to Thailand, he vigorously promoted the economic and cultural exchanges between Thailand and Laos, which became a much-told story.

Most ancestral temples in Changzhou have retained their original features, including the original stone drums, gatehouses, some stone lions, many exquisite brick carvings and stone carvings, with patterns such as flowers, birds, insects, fish and crossing the sea by the Eight Immortals. The moon beams of doors and windows are exquisitely patterned, exquisite in knife work and round in carving. It is a typical Jiangnan style with a high artistic level. The ancestral temple in Changzhou has also expanded its functions and become an exhibition hall for some past farm tools. There are many agricultural tools and daily necessities that are about to disappear in Zhao's ancestral hall, such as stone mill, oil lamp, rake, rice mortar, silkworm plaque, mud clip for river mud and so on. It's like a museum of farm tools. The artifacts such as artificial water pressure and fire dragon preserved in the Feng ancestral hall in Henglin are also refreshing.

Nowadays, the ancestral temple has become a tourist resource for people to remember their ancestors' hard work and ancient love. Many people of insight also suggested that Changzhou should make full use of this rich historical and cultural heritage left by our ancestors. For example, a piece of land can be set aside for some ancestral halls to be demolished and rebuilt due to construction, and new tourism resources can be formed relatively centrally.