It is 27.84 meters wide and 16.7 meters deep with 21 main beams and 6 carved stone columns. In front of the hall lies a stone gazebo surrounded by stone balustrades. The Gathering Hall was once a place for meeting and worship of the Chen clansmen and now it is used as an ancestral hall. It is 27.84 metres (91.3ft) wide and 16.7 metres (55ft) deep with 21 main beams and 6 carved stone columns.[2][4] In front of the hall lies a stone gazebo surrounded by stone balustrades. When the imperial exam was abolished in 1905, the academy became a practical school for members of the clan.

The Chen Clan Ancestral Hall has a very traditional look to it, and it is huge. It is interesting that the structure was built in such a traditional manner at a time when building going up in commercial cities in the south often had a Western architectural style. However, because the Qing Dynasty was failing at the time of construction, students here probably knew that they wouldn't have much of a future in government.

This combination makes it one of a kind in Asia, but also throughout the world. The Chen Clan Ancestral Hall (陈家祠, Chén Jiā Cí) was set up by two Chinese-Americans who wanted students from the chen clan ancestral hall guangzhou family to have an academy in Guangzhou as they were preparing for their Confucian Imperial Examinations. It was built just before the end of the Qing era between 1890 and 1894, with the two founders whose surname was Chen, Chen Ruinan and Chen Zhaonan, rallying support from all over Guangdong. It was originally a space for students training for the Confucian Imperial Examinations, built by two overseas Chinese in America returning to Guangzhou.

The 12 engraved folding screens inside the gathering hall is the master work of the Guangzhou wood carvings, featuring with sharp, free, and elegant style. The composition of the picture applies a zigzag way, so that a complete story can be read from the top of a screen to the bottom. These folding screens are engraved with pictures of classic tales from Tang Dynasty (618~907 CE) to the Southern Song Dynasty (1127~1279). The various Chinese names vividly tell us how Chinese culture inherits from generation to generation. It is said that the same surname is always a proof of the same ancestor. ‘Chen’ is one of the surnames in China, and it belonged to a large group of people during the late 19th century.

Ancestral Temple of the Chen Family, also known by different names such as Chen Family Temple andChen Clan Ancestral Hall, is a famous historical monument located in Guangzhou. This place is an academic temple, which was established in 1894 to prepare the children of the 72 Chen clans for the imperial examinations during the Qing Dynasty (1636–1912). In 2023, the hall sold over 320,000 cultural products, generating a revenue of 11.2 million yuan, further promoting Lingnan traditional architectural culture. The hall covers an area of 15,000 square meters, with a main building area of 6,400 square meters.

A cultural icon, Chen Clan Academy is a complex of many facets showcasing stunning Lingnan architecture. It is the largest, the best-preserved and the most beautiful structure in Guangdong Province. Transfer to Your HotelYour private guide and driver will transfer you back to your hotel after visiting Waqqas Tomb.

Brick carvings in the Chen Clan Ancestral Hall lie on the inner walls of each great halls. The one on the east wall features the old story "Liu Qing taming 'the Wolf'", with more than 40 figures in the picture, describing the lively scene of the man Liu Qing taming the wild horse from the west named "the wolf" in the time of Northern Song. The Chen Clan Ancestral Hall has a vast collection of southern Chinese art in different forms of pottery, brick, wood, and stone.

In 2002 and 2011 it was chosen as one of the Top Eight Sights of Guangzhou. Filled with strong cultural and artistic features, Chen Clan Ancestral Hall will give you a ticket to a biggest family in Guangzhou during the Qing Dynasty (1644~1912). The Forbidden City is the display of the imperial architectural art, and the Chen Clan Ancestral Hall is a show of folk architectural art. In 1959, the People's Government converted the Chen Clan Academy into the Guangdong Museum of Folk Arts, which collects, studies and displays folk handicrafts made in Guangdong and the rest of the country during the bygone dynasties.