Guangyu Ancestral Temple is located in Qiangang Village, Taiping Town, Conghua District, Guangzhou City. It is precious because it has seven marks of historical inscriptions. Guangyu Ancestral Temple is an ancient building in Guangdong with an exact construction date. It is called a ‘very valuable architectural specimen’ by the famous archaeologist Mai Yinghao. This is unique among cultural relics and historic sites in the whole country and even the world.
The ancient temple has six clear maintenance records engraved on the ridge purlin or on the inscriptions on the wall. Guangyu Ancestral Temple has three entrances, with a total construction area of 816 square meters and an area of about 992 square meters. Facing south from the north, the main seats are all wooden frameworks. The gable walls on both sides bear the weight. The roof is covered with plain tiles and has a gable roof. It is an example of ancestral temples in the Pearl River Delta region with obvious northern styles. A rare treasure was discovered in Guangyu Ancestral Temple: Guangzhou’s Along the River During the Qingming Festival. A ‘River City Picture’ eaves board on the west watchtower, which is 8.7 meters long and 0.3 meters wide, reflects the urban scenery along the north bank of the Pearl River in Guangzhou and the rural life style in the Qing Dynasty. In the form of relief and openwork carvings, the eaves board reproduces the scenery on both sides of the Pearl River during the Ming and Qing Dynasties: there are old men playing chess and fishing by the river, foreigners wearing top hats, and there are residential houses and shops. Dashaitou in the east was still a suburb back then, with a rural scenery. Sheep grazing and firewood chopping present an agricultural style. No wonder some people call the eaves board ‘Guangzhou’s Along the River During the Qingming Festival’.Opening hours: From January 1st to December 31st, open from 09:00 to 17:00.
