Construction characteristics of Huizhou traditional wooden ancestral hall architecture in the context of beautiful rural areas: Xidi Hu Clan Ancestral Hall as a case study

Abstract

The traditional ancestral halls of Huizhou represent a significant architectural heritage in southern Anhui, reflecting the sophisticated construction techniques and structural knowledge of the Ming and Qing dynasties. In the context of ongoing rural revitalization, systematic investigation of the construction features of key architectural heritage in traditional villages serves both cultural conservation and technical reference purposes. This study focuses on the Hu Clan Ancestral Hall in Xidi Village, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Through on-site investigation, in-situ measurement, graphical comparison, and structural analysis, the research systematically examines the construction characteristics of this Huizhou ancestral hall timber framework—covering overall layout, timber framing systems, component typologies, mortise-and-tenon joinery, construction logic, and regional attributes. The findings reveal that the Xidi Hu Clan Ancestral Hall adopts a hybrid timber-framing system integrating the tailiang (post-and-beam) and chuandou (column-and-tie) structural traditions. This integrated system, which serves as the main load-bearing structure, features standardized component profiles, precise joint assemblies, and a clearly defined load-transfer hierarchy. It effectively unifies structural rationality with regional artistic expression, exemplifying the quintessential Huizhou timber construction tradition[1]. This research provides primary data and methodological references for studies on Huizhou ancestral hall architecture, traditional craft preservation, and the safeguarding of rural architectural landscapes.