Guangzhou · history museum
Chen Clan Ancestral Hall (陈家祠, Chénjiā Cí)
The Chen Clan Ancestral Hall (陈家祠), formally the "Chen Clan Academy" (陈氏书院), was built in 1894 in Guangzhou as a communal hall for the Chen clan families. It is considered one of the finest examples of traditional Cantonese (Lingnan) architecture in China, with elaborate brick carvings, wood carvings, stone sculptures, and decorative plaster work.
Last updated:
Quick Answer
Is Chen Clan Ancestral Hall worth visiting?
Guangzhou's finest example of traditional Cantonese (Lingnan) architecture — a Qing Dynasty ancestral hall with intricate brick, wood, and stone carvings. ¥10.
Quick facts
| Category | history |
|---|---|
| Ticket | ¥10 (adults), ¥5 (students). |
| Hours | 8:30-17:30. Open year-round. |
| Recommended duration | 1-1.5 hours. |
| Best time to visit | Year-round. Weekday mornings best. |
| How to get there | Metro Line 1 to Chen Clan Ancestral Hall Station (陈家祠站), Exit A. Bus routes 15, 133, 193, 212, 268, 286 to Chen Clan stop. |
| English signage | partial |
Why visit
The Chen Clan Ancestral Hall is the most accessible example of traditional Lingnan architecture in Guangzhou — the carvings are extraordinary.
Collection highlights
- "Three-platform and four-screen" (三进四合) layout — the traditional Cantonese courtyard architecture
- Brick carvings — elaborate brick carvings on the external walls depicting historical scenes
- Wood carvings — intricate wood carvings on beams and columns
- "Guangdong十宝" (Ten Treasures of Guangdong) — ten famous Guangdong craft pieces displayed inside
Tips
- Combine with the nearby Shandong Provincial Museum for a full museum day
- The "Chen Clan" is one of Guangzhou's most-photographed buildings
- The nearby Liurong (六榕) temple is also worth visiting
Frequently asked questions
Read next
Other things to do in Guangzhou
Baiyun Mountain
广州市肺，羊城第一山，门票5元，摩星岭海拔382米，徒步登山好去处，山顶广场俯瞰广州全景，秋季山顶石刻最著名。
Nanhai Temple (Temple of the God of the South Sea)
中国古代四大海神庙之一，隋朝始建，古代出海祭海圣地，门票10元，菠萝诞庙会热闹非凡，值得历史爱好者探访。
Canton Tower (Guangzhou Tower)
广州新地标，小蛮腰昵称，600米高，观光票150元起，塔顶有摩天轮和速降轨道，俯瞰珠江三角洲夜景极佳。
Chen Clan Ancestral Hall
广东最精美的祠堂建筑，岭南建筑艺术明珠，门票10元，木雕、砖雕、石雕、灰塑精美绝伦，现为广东民间工艺博物馆。
Chen Clan Academy (Chen Lineage Hall)
陈家祠的正式名称，广东最精美祠堂建筑，门票10元，岭南建筑艺术精华，砖木石雕精美绝伦，现为广东民间工艺博物馆。
Guangdong Museum
广东最大的综合性博物馆，馆藏约18万件（套），2010年建成。免费需预约，09:00-17:00。海洋馆和广东历史文化展为亮点，珠江新城地铁直达。
Guangzhou Opera House
珠江新城四大文化建筑之一，扎哈·哈迪德设计，2010年建成，约1800座。免费进大厅参观，演出票100-1280元。世界十大歌剧院之一，建筑爱好者必朝圣。
Shangxia Walkway
Cantonese Art Deco shopping street — 1.2 km of restored 1930s arcade buildings, milk custard, and silk shops, 15 minutes from the Beijing Lu pedestrian zone. Free. 1–2 hours.
Kaiping Diaolou (Watchtower Villages)
About 1,833 surviving fortified tower-houses scattered across rural Kaiping, built mainly between the 1890s and 1930s by returned overseas Chinese; plan a full day, ideally an overnight, to see Zili and Li Gardens properly.
Pearl River Night Cruise
A 60-to-80-minute boat ride down Guangzhou's lit-up Pearl River past Canton Tower and the Zhujiang New Town skyline. Tickets run roughly ¥88–¥198 (as of 2026), and the best sailings leave around 19:30–20:00.
Shamian Church (Our Lady of Lourdes Church)
沙面岛上最著名的教堂，法国建于1890年，哥特式建筑，免费参观，非弥撒时间可入内拍照，是广州最浪漫的教堂。
Shamian Island
广州最具欧洲风情的历史街区，鸦片战争后英法租界，150余座欧式建筑，免费漫步，婚纱照圣地，美食遍及。
Shangxiajiu Pedestrian Street
广州最著名的传统骑楼商业街，全长约1200米，十甫路和下九路组成，免费逛，老字号美食云集，华林寺玉器街相邻。
Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall
A 1931 octagonal, blue-roofed hall to Sun Yat-sen on the site of his 1921 presidential office — 49 m tall with a 71 m column-free auditorium span. Grounds are free; allow 45 minutes and pair it with next-door Yuexiu Park.
Pearl River Night Cruise
广州最经典的夜游体验，乘船赏珠江两岸夜景，广州塔、海心沙、猎德大桥美景，票价约80-150元，节假日需提前订票。
Yuexiu Park
广州最大的综合性公园，面积约86万平方米，五羊石像高11米。门票免费，镇海楼（广州博物馆）另票10元。明代古城墙，镇海楼高28米。地铁2号线越秀公园站A口或B口出。建议2-4小时。
Museums in Guangzhou
Guangdong Museum
Guangdong's flagship museum in the new Zhujiang New Town district — the world's finest collection of Lingnan (Cantonese) culture, Chao (潮州) porcelain, and Ming Dynasty shipwreck archaeology from the Nanhai maritime trade routes. Free.
Guangzhou Museum (Zhenhai Tower)
Inside Zhenhai Tower (1380) overlooking the Pearl River — Cantonese history from Neolithic to modern. ¥10. 1.5 hours. Less crowded than the bigger museums.
Museum of the Mausoleum of the Nanyue King
A 2,000-year-old royal tomb you can walk into — the intact burial of the second Nanyue King, Zhao Mo, with his jade burial suit sewn in silk thread. One of China's best-preserved Han Dynasty tombs. ¥12.