祠堂

cítáng

noun #44,673

Measure Word

一座祠堂 zuò

Meanings

1 ancestral hall
2 clan temple
3 memorial hall

Characters

ancestral shrine

Examples

每年清明全家都会去祠堂祭祖。

Měi nián Qīngmíng quánjiā dōu huì qù cítáng jìzǔ.

Every year at Qingming the whole family goes to the ancestral hall to honor our ancestors.

这座祠堂已经有三百多年的历史。

Zhè zuò cítáng yǐjīng yǒu sānbǎi duō nián de lìshǐ.

This ancestral hall is over 300 years old.

Tips

culture

A 祠堂 is a clan ancestral hall, where a lineage keeps its spirit tablets, holds weddings/funerals, and gathers for Qingming and other festivals. Especially prominent in Guangdong, Fujian and Jiangxi, where an entire village may share a single surname and a single 祠堂. Compare 寺 (Buddhist temple) and 庙 (temple to deities/heroes).

Stroke Order

祠 cí

堂 táng