Xiaowu by the pond is the earliest residence of the Xiao family in Changting. Except for the Sheshan Township of the Weng family, several other places are branched from this branch. The Xiao family in Lanling did not build a house in Changting City.

The ancestral hall, so called Xiaowu by the pond, also plays a role in family celebrations and ethnic reunions, and is often called the ancestral house by the tribesmen.

The ancestral house is located in Chongshanfang, the most prosperous place in the Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties, in the south of the city. The main building faces the north and the south.

Meandering for more than 100 meters from south to north, along the central axis, halls and wells are staggered, with eight halls and seven wells in total. It is a typical Hakka architectural form of family settlement. There are brick walls in the house to separate them, and two doors can be opened.

It can be combined, and equipped with a number of hall doors and inner room doors, so that the whole house is connected and separated, and can be divided or closed.

On both sides of the living room and patio are wing rooms of varying sizes, with doors and windows on the left and right facing each other. Each household is close to each other and yet self-contained.

It reflects the characteristics of the deep house compound where the whole family lives together.

In the early years, to the south of the ancestral house and across the street, there were two side houses that echoed each other, and the three of them formed a perfect shape.

The east one, covering an area of ??about an acre, is said to be the home of a private school. There are more than a dozen large and small halls in the house, as well as a main hall and patio for schoolchildren to read scriptures and practice rituals, as well as a kitchen for making tea and hot water.

To the south and west of the road is another house, whose door faces the main entrance of the ancestral house.

It is estimated that it was a place of separation when the population was prosperous.

Unfortunately, time has changed, and the school on the east side has long since collapsed and has become a lawn for children to chase and play.

The house to the west already has a new owner.

But even so, it does not affect the grandeur and solemnity of the ancestral house itself.

The location of the ancestral house is excellent. Not far from the gate along Xiaowutang Lane to the east is Huiji Gate, one of the ancient city gates of Tingzhou.

Walking out of the city gate, you can watch the rushing water of Tingshui.

Exit the back door and go a little north, and you can reach the broad Xianqian Street, which is close to the long-gone county government and Jianping ruins.

It connects to South Street to the west, passes through Sanyuan Pavilion to the north and can directly connect to the government office, and goes south through the still intact Baozhumen tower to see the beautiful scenery of Baozhu Qinglan.

The door frame and beams of the ancestral house's main door are made of large stone blocks, and form a slightly forward arc with the wing walls on both sides.

Right above the gate is engraved "Famous Three Heroes", which means: My grandfather Xiao He was revered as Zhang Liang and Han Xin by Liu Bang.

The doorposts on both sides are engraved with the family tradition of "Eight Leaves Famous Minister, Family of Scholars in the Five Classics". The calligraphy is vigorous and the pen is sharp. It is said that it was written by my eighteenth generation ancestor Gongyi Xinggong, a calligrapher from Tingzhou.

Crossing the wide threshold, the inward side above the gate is inlaid with three large stone characters "Zhizhonghe", which is also the ancestor's expectation for future generations to follow the Confucian philosophy of meanness and peace.

Beyond the gatehouse, there is a large patio of about ten square meters, surrounded by wide stone strips as a ridge, and a stone strip paved walkway in the middle. Walking through this walkway is the main hall.

The main hall is very wide and tall, with plenty of light from the south. Five huge plaques are hung on the five beams above. The first one is the three characters "Shilang Di". He was my ancestor Xiao Lu who served in Tingzhou in the second year of Jingde.

The magistrate then moved to the Ministry of Finance and served as the "signature" of the minister.

Several other pieces also have their own origins, but were falsely accused of being the Four Olds and demolished during the Cultural Revolution.

Fortunately, there is still a very valuable piece, which is "Chongsang Ziyi" inscribed by Fang Jimo, the county magistrate in the seventh year of Qianlong's reign. This plaque is the magistrate's commendation for my eighteenth generation Xiu Gong's enthusiasm for rural development. How has this plaque escaped the catastrophe so far?

The reason is unknown, but according to the old man, it was because the plaque was not qualified to go into the hall, so it was hung on the back of the back door without being noticed. It was later taken by the tribe to separate the pig pen and was luckily preserved.

Speaking of couplets, they are also an important feature of the hall. There are at least five pairs of painted couplets of different lengths in the hall, hung on each pillar. During the New Year, huge scrolls and paintings are hung between the couplets. It is said that these words and pictures are from

It was written by famous figures from different dynasties, such as Yi Bingshu, Shangguanzhou and others. Of course, we cannot verify whether these people are authentic.

However, the master of Neo-Confucianism in the Southern Song Dynasty, Yang Fang, a disciple of Zhu Xi, was a good friend of Xiao Yong, a scholar of my fifth ancestor, and Li Shihong, known as "Li Qingtian" in the Qing Dynasty, was an in-law of my eighteenth ancestor. It is possible that the calligraphy treasures they left behind

It's a pity that none of them can be saved. Now the walls of the hall are empty.

On both sides of the hall are the two most important wing rooms of the ancestral house. It is not only spacious, but also has an independent small patio. Across the patio is the lower hall for entertaining close friends and distinguished guests to drink tea and discuss matters. The hall is equipped with Taishi chairs, and

There is a small desk and the walls are covered with famous calligraphy and paintings. The whole small hall is full of bookishness.

There is a small door behind the screen in the main room that leads to the back room, from which it leads to the hall behind the screen. Outsiders and family members can come and go without disturbing each other. It is true that there are rooms within the house and halls within the hall.

Across the thresholds on both sides of the central hall from the hall, you enter the entrance hall. The area of ??the entrance hall is not large, and can accommodate about two Eight Immortals tables and several seats. It is the front hall where celebrations are held and where tea, wine and food are transferred. In normal times, it can accommodate one person.

Small family meal or rest.

To the north of the hall is the patio, and then the middle hall.

It is also relatively tall, but its area is slightly smaller than the hall. If the hall is mainly used to receive foreign guests, the middle hall is the place for family gatherings. At the highest point behind it, there is a room about one meter deep and one meter high.

The large open shrine with a width of four meters enshrines the shrines of ancestors. The highest one in the middle is: the main tablet of the clan gods of Lanlingtang. The lower one is the statue of my grandfather painted by Ma Guodian.