Tan Xiaomi

THE biggest and best preserved ancestral temple in Shenzhen, the Zeng ancestral temple in Bao’an District has been witness to the clan’s prosperity years in the past three centuries.

The temple, built in the 18th century during the Qing Dynasty, also tells the story of the clan’s ancestors, the Zeng brothers.

The 1,050-square-meter tem-ple is divided into an antehall, a pavilion, an inner hall and a backyard. Inside it has a granite three-storey pavilion.

Popular forms of art of the 18th century, such as stone and wood carvings, murals and enamel work can be found in the temple. Lifelike murals depict the stories of the Zeng clan.

According to a spokesman for the Shajing subdistrict administration, the clan has been in Shenzhen for more than 800 years and 32 generations.

“They came from the north during the Song Dynasty, when the inland areas were affected by continuous wars,” he said.

The clan’s ancestors, brothers Zeng Shixing and Zeng Shigui, escaped to the south but were later forced to part ways at Panyu in Guangzhou. “They cleaved a unique stone before separating, and promised to meet each other with this keepsake,” the spokesman said.

The brothers reportedly never met again. Decades later, the descendants of the Zeng brothers flourished in what is now Bao’an District and built this massive ancestral temple to commemorate their ancestors.

The temple was put on the municipal heritage list in 1984, and on the provincial-level heritage list in 2003.

In 2004, the Shajing government spent 3 million yuan to repair the temple, the biggest renovation since the last one in 1798 during the Qing Dynasty.

However, some local visitors have complained the renovation made the temple look too new, eroding some of its original charm.

Shenzhen used to have flourishing Cantonese villages with ancestral temples. Until the Song Dynasty, Shajing had entire villages consisting of people sharing a common surname like Chen, Huang, Liu, Wen, Wu, Zeng and Zheng.

A visit to the Jiang ancestral temple nearby is recommended if you have time. The temple has a 50-meter-long wall made from oyster shells. The tens of thousands of oyster shells look amazing, especially when reflecting the bright sunshine.

An ancient bridge, a Mazu temple and villages nearby also deserve a visit. The 50-memter-long Yongxing Bridge is the only stone arch bridge in Shenzhen. It was built 300 years ago.