Nanshe Ancient Village of Ming and Qing Dynasties

Featured Architecture: The Centennial Archway was built to commemorate four centenarians. It was restored to preserve its original appearance, and next to it is the Centennial Ancestral Hall. The stone steps and railings are grand, and the carved spandrels and pendant gates are exquisite.

Talented Figures and Cultural Relics: Many talented people emerged during the Ming and Qing dynasties, including 9 Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations). A large number of undamaged buildings and carved cultural relics have been preserved. The ancient walls and Xie Clan Ancestral Hall are representative buildings with great artistic value.

Scale and Layout: The ancient village retains the layout of the Ming and Qing dynasties. There are 22 ancestral halls and over 200 ancient residences, making it a rare Ming and Qing architectural and cultural site in the Pearl River Delta.

Nanshe Village covers an area of approximately 6.9 square kilometers, with a current registered population of over 3,000. It is one of the larger villages in the Chashan area and even in Dongguan. Its ancient village, which maintains the layout of the Ming and Qing dynasties, has 22 existing ancestral halls and over 200 ancient residences, making it a rare Ming and Qing architectural and cultural site in the Pearl River Delta.

During the Ming and Qing dynasties, many talented people emerged from Nanshe Ancient Village, including 9 Jinshi. To this day, a large number of undamaged buildings and carved cultural relics with artistic value have been preserved. Among them, the ancient walls with rammed earth and red stone foundations and blue brick watchtowers, as well as the Xie Clan Ancestral Hall with its traditional three-bay, three-courtyard layout, are representative buildings that are worth seeing.

The Centennial Archway was built to commemorate four centenarians. As you can see, its flying eaves and dougong brackets are simple and magnificent. When this archway was restored, it was rebuilt with bricks and wood, carved flowers, and mortise and tenon joints, strictly according to its original appearance, so it has been well preserved. Next to it is the Centennial Ancestral Hall, which was rebuilt from the old house where a centenarian lived, according to his will. The Zizheng Residence is the residence of Xie Yuanjun, a Jinshi in the Guangxu period who served as the Secretary of the Ministry of Rites. It is located on a small hill, and the stone steps and railings still retain their former grandeur. The spandrels of the two corridors are exquisite, and the pendant gate in the hall is carved with flowers and birds. The peacock tails and phoenix heads protrude from the wood, lifelike.