Hometown Ancestral House

China Lingnan (岭南) architectural style residences: information of the ancestral house of the 15th generation ancestor and the ancestral house of the 19th generation ancestor who expanded the house twice.

The ancestral house was originally a "three-room, two-corridor" (三间两廊) traditional Lingnan residence, built before the 21st year of the Daoguang (道光) Emperor's reign (1841) in the Qing Dynasty. It is located in the northern part (back half) of the current ancestral house. The main building has three bays, with a 33 beams width (桁) hall in the middle, and bedrooms on both sides: East: 21 beam width (桁), West: 19 beam width (桁). In the front, there are two side corridors (used as kitchens) and a small patios (天井).

Later, the 19th generation ancestors expanded the ancestral house to the south, and the width of the new two-storey building was half the width of the original ancestral house, with private school (私塾), small courtyard and second floor room.

The 19th generation ancestor further expanded the ancestral house, a new single-storey building was built in fount of the courtyard. The main entrance of the current ancestral house is from this building, The front door consists of three components , the outermost one is a pair of half height screen doors (屏风门) (destroyed) for privacy, the second one is the horizontal wooden bar "Tanglong" (趟栊) sliding door for ventilation, the innermost one is a pair of heavy hardwood door panels.

Red Box: The ancestral house of the 15th generation ancestor

Orange Box: hall, bedrooms, two side corridors and small patio (the original ancestral house before expansion)

Green Box: private school (私塾), small courtyard and second floor room (First expansion)

Blue Box: front hall (Further expansion)

《花香鸟语是诗意》

《水色山光皆画本》

In the courtyard, there are couplet (对联) "The beautiful mountains and rivers are all beautiful pictures" (水色山光皆画本) and "the fragrant flowers in full bloom and the crisp chirping of the birds are full of poetic" (花香鸟语是诗意). The 18th generation ancestor planted a Aglaia odorata tree (米仔兰树) in the courtyard. There are also couplets on the east wall. The content has not been recognized due to the inscription is not clear.

Folk houses in Lingnan (岭南) architectural style.

Small patio (小天井). It has the function of lighting and ventilation. Due to the hot, rainy and humid weather in southern China Lingnan (岭南), the small patio design can prevent the sun exposure and facilitate natural ventilation.

(photo: kc wong)

Cold alley (冷巷). The passage between the two buildings has the function of ventilation and fire prevention. Because the narrowness of the corridor, the wind speed will increase when there is a gust of wind. Because it is covered by the shadow of the wall and surrounding buildings, the cold inside and the hot air outside the alley form convection when there is no wind.

the cold alley also known as "Qingyun alley" (青云巷) , It takes the meaning of "平步青云" which means that a person can easily reach a high official position all at once.

Drawing of the 19th generation ancestral house.

Figure 1 of the 19th generation ancestral house expansion. (the original ancestral house before expansion)

Figure 2 of the 19th generation ancestral house expansion. (First expansion added private school (私塾), small courtyard and second floor room)

Figure 3 of the 19th generation ancestral house expansion. (Further expansion added front hall)

Figure 4 of the 19th generation ancestral house expansion. (The second floor was demolished during the renovation of the ancestral house in 1989)

Ancestral house taken in 1984, the second floor of the building has not yet been demolished

Ancestral house taken in 1983

The ancestral house of the 15th generation ancestor

(photo taken in 2016 by Wong Siew Kwun)

The ancestral house of the 15th generation ancestor Wong His Cheong (黄显章) (1744-1817) is located on the west side of the 19th generation ancestral house. It has been an ancestral house for more than 200 years. The internal structure of this house is unknown.