Mao Ancestral Hall
毛氏宗祠
The main ancestral hall of the Mao clan in Shaoshan, a Qing-dynasty brick-and-timber building where Mao Zedong set up a farmers' night school and organised peasant associations in 1925.
The Mao Ancestral Hall stands on the west side of Mao Zedong Square. It was first built in the Qianlong era of the Qing dynasty and served as the main hall where Mao clan members held ancestor worship and discussed clan affairs. It has three halls and two courtyards in a brick-and-timber structure, and its gatehouse features fine grey plaster sculptures and wood carvings. In 1925, when Mao Zedong returned to his home village, he set up a farmers' night school here and secretly recruited Party members. It is an important site of the peasant movement in Shaoshan and is now a National Key Cultural Relic Protection Unit, with exhibits on the origins of the Mao family and its genealogy. Admission is about 10 yuan (check on site), and a visit takes about 30 minutes. It is about 3 minutes on foot from the bronze statue square, and can be combined with the former residence and memorial hall.
Opening hours
08:00–17:30
Nearby sights
- Shaoshan Mao Zedong Memorial Museum
- Mao Zedong Square & Bronze Statue
- Nan'an Private School
- Former Residence of Mao Zedong
- Dishui Cave
- Shaofeng Peak
- "China Produced a Mao Zedong" Live Show
- Former Residence of Liu Shaoqi (Huaminglou)