The Peng Clan Ancestral Hall in Qishi Village, Yizhang, Hunan

The Peng Clan Ancestral Hall is located in the center of Qishi Village and was first built in 1727 during the fifth year of the Yongzheng reign in the Qing Dynasty. In 1855, during the fifth year of the Xianfeng reign, He Lu and Chen Jingang, leaders of the Guangdong Red Turban Army, led their troops northward to join the Taiping Rebellion. When passing through Qishi Village, they engaged in fierce battles with local militia, resulting in the ancestral hall being burned down by the Red Turban Army. Several years later, the Peng clan members funded its reconstruction. The reconstructed Peng Clan Ancestral Hall covers an area of 298 square meters. It is a single-story, blue-brick building with a flush gable roof and a three-section layout, consisting of a gate tower, corridors, and a worship hall. The gate tower features three-tiered horse-head walls on both sides, with blue bricks and dark tiles, exuding solidity and grandeur. The top is adorned with seven layers of bracket sets in the flying eaves style, connected by mortise and tenon joints, showcasing exquisite craftsmanship and majestic beauty. The ridge beam is decorated with a round-carved pair of dragons, vivid and full of imposing energy. The four corners have small flying eaves with auspicious beasts. Eight pillars in front of the main gate support the overhead beam structure, beneath which the horizontal inscription "Peng Clan Ancestral Hall" is carved in regular script. On the right is written "Blessed by Tianma," and on the left, "Nurtured by Ivory." Above the drum-shaped stone gate is a horizontal plaque inscribed with "Revere Ancestors and Unite the Clan" in relief, written by Tan Yankai, former Chairman of the Nationalist Government. The second section features a screen partition, behind which is a courtyard corridor with a beam structure. The courtyard serves for natural lighting, paved with bluestone engraved with cloud patterns, flowers, and animals. The side corridors provide passage. The third section is the worship hall for the Peng clan. In the center is a shrine, above which hangs a horizontal plaque inscribed with "Hall of Harmony" in semi-cursive script. The hall's pillars, beams, and bracket sets create an awe-inspiring and solemn atmosphere. In January 1928, Zhu De and Chen Yi led their troops to launch the Yizhang New Year's Uprising, successfully capturing Yizhang City and firing the first shot of the Southern Hunan Uprising. Soon after, the revolutionary flame spread across Southern Hunan. The Nationalist Government ordered six regiments under Xu Kexiang to suppress the uprising immediately, attempting to extinguish the revolutionary fire. Zhu De and Chen Yi strategized, luring the enemy deeper while voluntarily withdrawing from Yizhang City toward the Hunan-Guangdong border. On January 22, Zhu De and Chen Yi led the Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army to relocate here, stationing in the Peng Clan Ancestral Hall. In front of the hall, Zhu De delivered a speech titled "Five Spears Can Match One Gun," calling on impoverished farmers to unite, follow the Communist Party, and join the struggle to overthrow the old world, dismantle the puppet regime, and build a new China where the people are the masters. After the speech, over 160 young men and women from Qishi Village enthusiastically enlisted, strengthening the revolutionary forces. During the intense revolutionary era, the people of Qishi Village shed blood and sacrificed their lives, demonstrating their heroic spirit (59 revolutionary martyrs were later officially recorded). In April 1928, Zhu De and Chen Yi led the Southern Hunan Uprising troops to retreat to Jinggangshan. By the end of the year, the Peng Clan Ancestral Hall was burned down by the Nationalists. In 1930, the Peng clan members raised funds again to restore the hall to its original appearance. As one of the historic sites of the Qishi Uprising, the Peng Clan Ancestral Hall was designated as a National Key Cultural Relic Protection Unit in 2013 by the State Council.