The Ancestral Hall of Yan Shu’s Former Residence

Wengang is the hometown of Yan Shu, prime minister and renowned ci poet of the Northern Song Dynasty, as well as Yan Jidao, another celebrated ci poet of the same period.

As prime minister, Yan Shu pioneered a new poetic style and founded the Wanyue School (the School of Graceful Ci Poetry). He is regarded as the trailblazer of Linchuan culture. His son Yan Jidao brought the graceful ci style to its pinnacle.

Father and son Yan elevated short ci poems of the Northern Song Dynasty to a new artistic height. Their followers, including Ouyang Xiu, Wang Anshi, Zeng Gong and other great statesmen and literati from Linchuan, helped Jiangxi earn the reputation of being "endowed with abundant natural treasures and outstanding talents".

Built in the late Qing Dynasty, the ancestral hall covers an area of 220 square metres with two courtyards and five rooms. It served as the venue for the Yan clan to hold ancestor worship ceremonies.

The Tang Dynasty poet Dai Shulun wrote: A few warblers urge willows to turn green; I tread on petals home along the spring brook. This poem depicts the scenery of present-day Yanshu Village in Wengang.