What is the layout of the ancient ancestral hall What is the importance of architectural decoration

In ancient times, ancestral halls were places where people worshiped their ancestors and held important meetings, so the construction area and construction quality of ancestral halls were generally better than ordinary houses. In feudal society, the size and sophistication of the ancestral hall symbolized the rise and fall of the family, and the more powerful the family's ancestral hall, the more elaborate it was in terms of carving. The architectural styles of the ancestral halls are varied, and the number of rooms and numbers of ancestral halls also varies, most of them have tall door walls, main halls, and various buildings, which also reflect Confucianism.

Different parts of the ancient ancestral hall building need to use different materials, the material of the façade is generally carved from granite, the stone lion placed in front of the door is generally carved from marble, and the wall is generally made of blue bricks. The material of the windows also has certain specifications, generally choose to use mahogany, the beams and main beams choose poplar, and the floor is marble. The architecture of the ancient ancestral hall can reflect the feeling of Confucianism, and the symmetrical layout of the central axis is generally adopted, and the height of the house can also show the hierarchy of dignity and inferiority.

The exquisiteness of the ancestral hall carving can vividly show the rise and fall of a family, and the patterns that decorate the ancient ancestral hall should conform to the Confucian etiquette norms. Generally speaking, people usually carve landscapes, flowers and plants on the gate, which can make the ancestral hall more grand. The stone lions in front of the gate are generally grinning, which can make the gate appear more serious and heavy.

The carved patterns on the steps into the ancestral hall are generally clouds, which means that the clouds are prosperous and prosperous. On the walls around the ancestral hall, various Rui beasts are carved to represent auspiciousness and wealth. <>

The ancient ancestral hall is a place to worship the ancestors, and most of the walls and murals of the ancestral hall should be based on simple and simple colors, which can make the entire ancestral hall appear more luxurious and rich in a simple and simple tone after a reasonable matching. The ancient ancestral hall is the artistic carrier of the material culture and spiritual culture left over from history, its architecture and decoration perfectly interpret Confucianism, and it reflects the exquisite building technology of the ancients in the color matching and carving, and reflects the diligence and wisdom of the ancient working people.

1. The address and place selected for the ancestral hall.

In ancient times, people paid more attention to feng shui, in the eyes of the ancients, a more suitable place to live symbolized the prosperity of people and careers, so generally in the design of the ancestral hall, it is more important to pay attention to the dragon vein, angry, square, back to the mountains and water, no conflict and no fighting, etc., there will be some ancients who require the design of the ancestral hall to sit in the north and face south, the left and right are lined with each other, and the four are evenly matched.

2. The ancestral hall should avoid crowded places.

When designing the ancestral hall, try to avoid densely populated places such as residential buildings, schools, and factories, because it is necessary to pay attention to the mountains and rivers, and pay more attention to the outstanding people and the prosperity of the people.

3. The internal structure of the ancestral hall.

After the site selection of the ancestral hall is completed, it is necessary to pay attention to its internal structure, especially the layout and size, because the ancestral hall is different from the private house, and there are relatively strict regulations.

Generally, due to the difference in family prosperity and financial resources, the building scale of the ancestral hall is different, mainly in the form of one into a single courtyard, two into one courtyard, three into two courtyards, three into three courtyards and so on, the strength of the family determines the scale of the ancestral hall. The folk ancestral hall is mainly in the three-in-two courtyard type, the architectural pattern generally adopts the form of symmetry on the central axis, each ancestral hall will generally take the clan surname as the ancestral name, and the main building in the ancestral hall will also have the name of the hall; In addition, the ancestral hall also has ancestral halls, hall associations, door associations, etc., and the information such as the birthplace of the surname or the official position of the ancestors is expressed in the form of couplets, so as to achieve the purpose of remembering the ancestors and not forgetting the original.

It can reflect the symmetry of the layout, reflect the hierarchy, show Confucianism, can reflect the power of the family, and the color collocation is relatively rich, which is conducive to creating a harmonious artistic conception.

It will be designed and laid out according to the dynasty at that time, and it will also be carved and designed according to some cultural traditions, so that it can have a better commemorative effect and inheritance.

The selection of the new ancestral hall is very particular, and it is generally required to pay attention to the dragon vein and the vitality **, the back of the mountain and the water, the Ming Hall is wide, square, and the water mouth is collected, no conflict, no fighting, etc. As well as the left and right complement each other, the four potentials are evenly balanced.

The organization and layout of the ancestral hall building are regulated, but the scale is different, but the overall layout has something in common, which can be roughly divided into several parts, such as the square in front of the door, the stage, the gate, the wall, the patio, the enjoyment hall, the worship hall, the dormitory, and the auxiliary room. It is based on the financial strength of his family.

The ancestral hall is a place where the clansmen worship their ancestors or sages.

Ancestral halls are used for a variety of purposes. In addition to the purpose of "worshipping the ancestors", the grandchildren of each house usually use these vast ancestral halls for activities when they usually have weddings, funerals, birthdays, joys and other events. In addition, the ancestral hall is sometimes used as a meeting place by the clan relatives to discuss important matters within the clan.

In ancient Chinese feudal society, the concept of family was quite profound, and often a village lived with one family or several families with one surname, and more established their own family temples to worship their ancestors. This kind of family temple is generally called "ancestral hall", which is divided into ancestral hall, branch ancestral hall and family ancestral hall. The name "ancestral hall" first appeared in the Han Dynasty, when the ancestral halls were built in tombs, called tomb shrines; Zhu Xi of the Southern Song Dynasty "Family Rites" set up the ancestral hall system, and since then called the family temple the ancestral hall.

At that time, there was a limit to the level of the construction of the ancestral hall, and the people were not allowed to set up the ancestral hall. To the Ming Dynasty Jiajing "Xu people are all associated with the temple of the sect", and later it is the surname of the emperor or the marquis that can be called the "family temple", and the rest is called the ancestral hall.

In addition to being used to worship and worship ancestors, ancestral halls also have a variety of uses. The ancestral hall is also the place where the patriarch exercises clan power, and anyone who violates the clan rules is educated and dealt with here until they are expelled from the ancestral hall, so it can also be said to be a court of feudal morality; The ancestral hall can also serve as a social place for the family; Some ancestral halls have schools attached to them, and the children of the clansmen go to school here. Because of this, the ancestral hall building is generally larger than the private house, the more powerful and wealthy the family, the more elaborate their ancestral hall is often more exquisite, the tall hall, exquisite carvings, and high-quality materials have become a symbol of the family's glory and ancestor.

Most of the ancestral halls have a hall number, the hall number is written by the clansman or a foreign surname calligraphy master, made of a golden plaque to hang high in the main hall, next to the surname of the origin, the glory of the clan, the chastity of women and other plaques, pay attention to it is also equipped with a couplet. If it is the emperor's imperial seal, you can make a "straight plaque". The size and number of plaques in the ancestral hall are the capital of the clansmen.

Some ancestral halls have flagpole stones in front of them, indicating that the clansmen have gained fame. Generally speaking, the ancestral hall has one surname and one ancestral hall, and the clan rules are very strict in the old days, not to mention foreign surnames, that is, women or minor children in the clan are not allowed to enter without permission, otherwise they will be severely punished.

After the liberation, especially during the movement in the 60s, ancestral halls were basically demolished and smashed or converted into office spaces. The ancestral ranking, including some of the genealogies hidden in them, were burned and destroyed, and there are many people in later generations who do not know why the ancestral hall is and what it is used for. In addition to grieving, in a few areas, for some reasons, some ancestral halls have been preserved, which is very gratifying.

The use of the "ancestral hall" that was common in ancient times was diverse, and it was generally used for sacrifices, marriage leave, funerals, family discussions, and for the children of the clan to study.

1. Sacrifice. As a place for Confucian ancestors to worship, sacrifice is the main purpose of the ancestral hall. Most ancestral halls have many ancestral tablets. On some days, the patriarch or elder of the family would bring their children to worship their ancestors.

The predecessor of the ancient ancestral hall system was the ancient family ancestral hall system, but in the early days of ancient Chinese society, not all families could have ancestral halls, only those who built family ancestral halls could have them.

In the Song Dynasty, Cheng Zhu Lixue was highly acclaimed. There is such a sentence in Zhu Xi's "Family Rites and Ancestral Hall": "The gentleman will camp in the palace room, and first set up the ancestral hall in the east of the main bed, which is four niches to worship the gods of the ancestors."

Therefore, the construction of the ancestral hall is widely popular, and the ritual of worshipping ancestors has also been greatly valued and practiced.

2. Weddings and funerals.

With the gradual improvement of the ancestral hall, its use is also gradually increasing. Ancestral halls usually occupy a large area and are often used as a venue for weddings, funerals, and other events. Generally, newlyweds bow to their ancestors in the high hall of the ancestral hall during their wedding ceremony to gain the approval of their parents and the blessings of their ancestors.

When the elderly in the family celebrate their birthdays, a banquet is also held in the ancestral hall.

3. Family deliberations.

In the hit TV series "White Deer Plain" the year before last, we can often see the footage of the ancestral hall. Patriarch Bai Jiaxuan often discussed matters with a group of people in the ancestral hall, which can be seen that the ancestral hall was gradually becoming a meeting place for the patriarch and those who had the right to discuss things.

Fourth, for the children of the clan to study.

At the beginning of its establishment, the ancestral hall was mainly used for sacrificial activities. Later, its educational function became increasingly prominent. Many aristocratic families established private schools in ancestral halls for their children to study.

However, families with more intelligent people in this race naturally have strong academic backgrounds, and the schools established in this family also lay a good foundation for the children of this family to become smart and talented.

In ancient times, the ancestral hall was specially established by the clansmen with the same surname to worship the deceased ancestors and sages of the clan, and this name was already recorded in the Han Dynasty.

The ancestral halls that existed in ancient times mainly preserved some inscriptions of some ancestors, which was mainly a place for descendants to worship their ancestors.

In ancient times, ancestral halls were built to honor ancestors, usually to remember departed relatives and places of sacrifice.

Generally, the ancestral hall is a place used by some large families to worship ancestral tablets, and they believe that there are gods who are three feet above their heads, so important matters are usually discussed here.