An ancestral hall (Chinese: 祠堂; pinyin: Cítáng or Chinese: 宗祠; pinyin: Zōng Cí) or lineage temple is a site of ancestor worship in Chinese culture. Ancestral halls are closely linked to Confucian culture and the emphasis that it places on filial piety.
A common central feature of the ancestral halls are the ancestral tablets that embody the ancestral spirits[1]. The ancestral tablets are typically arranged by seniority of the ancestors[1]. Altars and other ritual objects such as incense burners are also common fixtures.
The halls are used for collective rituals and festivals in honor of the ancestors[1] but also for other family- and community-related functions such as weddings and funerals[1]. Sometimes, they serve wider community functions such as meetings and local elections.
Ancestral halls have often been secularized to serve as village schools or granaries during the land reform of the 1950s and the Cultural Revolution. They have experienced a revival since the economic liberalization of the 1980s[1]. The revival of the ancestral halls has been particularly strong in southern China where lineage organization had stronger roots in the local culture and local communities are more likely to have members living overseas who can support rebuilding of the halls through donations[1].