百年乡愁何所寄？

——江门丹灶德循林公祠保育纪实

12月初的一个冬日，迎着细雨，笔者来到了蓬江区环市街道丹灶古村。这里的德循林公祠是江门唯一一座有着蓝色琉璃瓦顶的祠堂，体现了五邑地区中西文化结合的建筑特色。

推开厚重的木门，仿佛推开一扇通往历史的大门。跨过门槛，榫卯结构的花罩映入眼帘，两旁对称的格局，显示出中华古建筑的典雅；屋顶上的雕画，精致、讲究；斑驳的墙体，透露出岁月的印记，细看仍能发现植物生长的痕迹。

去年，这里还是荒草丛生、窗棂破碎。如今，祠堂已换了面貌，蓝色琉璃瓦重新散发光芒，再次向世人展示其独特的文化与价值。

时隔11年，“仓东计划”发起人五邑大学教授、建筑遗产保护专家谭金花再次率团队活化华侨老建筑，德循林公祠也成为“仓东计划”理念下的第二个基地，成为林紫昭家族百年乡愁的寄托地。

修缮后的德循林公祠焕然一新。

继承传统，拥抱西风

德循林公祠始建于1935年，是丹灶乡旅居马来西亚华侨、著名银行家林紫昭先生为纪念其父亲林德循而修建的家祠，主要用于祖先祭拜和家族集会，也曾被用作学校。后来，因林紫昭先生后人全部定居海外，德循林公祠疏于管理，屡遭盗窃、几近荒废。

2020年，林紫昭的孙女林爱莹在斯坦福大学网站上找到谭金花。因认同“仓东计划”的理念，了解“仓东计划”的运营方式，林爱莹家族决定将德循林公祠交托给仓东遗产教育基地管理，希望运用“仓东计划”理念活化祠堂，重新焕发这座历史建筑的现实意义。德循林公祠也因此成为“仓东计划”理念下的第二个基地。

为什么会选择德循林公祠？谭金花表示：“‘仓东计划’是一个自下而上的模式，不是我选择德循林公祠，而是祠堂的主人认同仓东的理念从而选择我们。同时，这座百年侨建家祠也有它极为独特的遗产价值，值得我们去保护。”

德循林公祠占地面积600多平方米，属于传统广府祠堂形制，包含了近代岭南建筑所有的建筑工艺，同时兼有南洋建筑元素。这是一本活教材，对深入研究民国时期五邑侨乡的建筑技艺和华侨思想有较高的参考价值。2019年，德循林公祠被江门市政府评定为历史建筑。

“这座祠堂是中西文化结合的典型，很华丽，也很内敛，深刻反映了林紫昭先生的南洋生活经历和思想观——既继承传统也拥抱西风。”谭金花表示，林紫昭重视内部的传统布局和蓝色琉璃瓦顶的选择，既秉承了传统上对神明和祖先的崇敬，也让人看到了他对传统文化的信仰，以及不凡的经济实力。在一般大众认知中，只有北京天坛、广州中山纪念堂、南京中山陵才能用得起这么大范围的蓝色琉璃瓦顶。而他对趟窗、西方柱式的使用，则是洋为中用观念在祠堂建筑中的发挥。

德循林公祠蓝色琉璃瓦屋顶在五邑地区别具一格。

祠堂在，根就在

2022年12月，德循林公祠修葺工作正式启动。这是一个极其困难的修复过程，房屋体量大、破坏严重，各种建筑装饰技艺繁杂，陶瓷脊尤处于危险之中。谭金花带领团队按照国际文化遗产修复理念开展工作，充分尊重祠堂的真实性和完整性。

谭金花认为，祠堂的修缮是社区营造的开始。修缮过程中，工匠们逐渐认识到传统技艺的重要性，社区的传统文化信仰随着建筑的修缮而被带动起来，海外后裔对家乡的感情和对文化遗产的认识，借着祠堂的修缮而增强，对家乡的认同感也逐渐加深。

修葺过程中，谭金花团队既重视建筑遗产的保护，又重视文化的传承。

祠堂里有副对联，在历史上遭到破坏，字迹模糊不清。他们请书法家把字迹认出来——兴学育才勤远计，栽花种竹遣余闲，这是祠堂里仅存的对联文字。谭金花认为，从遗产的角度，这幅对联具有非凡的意义，可通过它去理解屋主当时的思想和祠堂曾经的用途。

为此，谭金花请书法家赵一翰先生书写，在原址正对面墙壁上用原来的技艺和青砖材料重做砖雕对联，让后代可以通过新旧两幅对联，看到历史的痕迹和感受当时主人的心胸。谭金花为这副对联作了一个横批“为善”的砖雕,取自“为善最乐”的传统文化思想，它不但是林紫昭先生的人生哲学，更是华侨爱国爱乡的情感映照。

目前，德循林公祠修葺工程已基本完工，正进行内部完善装饰。这座侨建家祠正逐渐拂去历史的尘烟，焕发新的生机。谭金花团队希望依靠各方力量，将祠堂打造成一个集寻根和文化交流的中心。

谭金花认为，对于海外后代而言，家乡祠堂是祖先的家园，是海外华人的根之所在。祠堂在，根就在。在这里，通过交流共享相关成果、开展跨国文化交流活动，帮助海外华侨华人了解自己族群的历史和文化，从而构建华侨华人群体的身份认同，同时也让生活在侨乡的人看到世界，增进中国与世界各国人民对彼此的理解和认同。

修复前德循林公祠破败不堪。

背后的“英雄”

当修复后的德循林公祠呈现在眼前，谭金花感慨连连，“有点不相信”。回顾此程，她对工程承建商陈伟扬先生表达了由衷的敬佩，直言他是修缮工程背后的“英雄”，对传统文化、对建筑保护有着深厚情怀。

“仓东计划”是一个非牟利的民营非企业，无法承担德循林公祠修复工程的巨大开支。在这关键的时刻，来自新会的陈伟扬主动参与进来，出于自身对建筑遗产的感情和对于仓东计划所做的遗产保护工作的认可，垫资修缮德循林公祠。陈伟扬说，做这个工程虽然没有赚到钱，但整个过程大家有商有量、互相尊重，做精品、有追求，心里很愉快。

“这让我看到了社区营造的力量，看到了传统文化精神的魅力。想不到在今时今日，还可以有百年前的那种传统熟人社会的信任。”谭金花说。

谭金花感言，遗产保育的道路上，开始时步履艰难，但随着时间的推移，会发现越来越多的人成为同路人，“世上本无路，走的人多了，便成了路。虽然这条路仍然不那么热闹，仍有孤独感，但很感恩，我们正处于一个对遗产有爱的时代”。

Where does a Hundred Years of Nostalgia Come from?

--The Conservation of the Dexunlin Ancestral Hall in Jiangmen

On a winter day in early December, amid the drizzle, I visited to the ancient village of Danzao in Huanshi Street, Pengjiang District. The Dexunlin Ancestral Hall here is the only one in Jiangmen with a blue glazed tile roof, reflecting the architectural characteristics of the combination of Chinese and Western cultures in Wuyi area.

Pushing open the heavy wooden door is like pushing open a door to history. Crossing over the threshold, the mortise-and-tenon joint structure of the wood-carved curtain comes into view, and the symmetrical patterns on both sides showcase the elegance of ancient Chinese architecture; the wood-carvings and stucco-carvings on the roof are exquisite and elaborate; the mottled wall reveals the marks of the years, and the traces of plant growth can still be found upon closer inspection.

Last year, the place was still overgrown with weeds and broken window panes. Today, the ancestral hall has changed its appearance, and the blue glazed tiles have re-emitted their light, once again showing its unique culture and value to the world.

After 11 years, Tan Jinhua, a professor at Wuyi University and an expert in architectural heritage conservation, and the initiator of the "CangDong Project", has once again led a team to revitalize the old buildings of overseas Chinese, and the Dexunlin Ancestral Hall has become the second base under the concept of the "Cangdong Project", and the destination for the Lam Tee Chew (Lin Zizhao) family's century-long nostalgia.

After renovation, Dexunlin ancestral hall has taken on an entirely new look.

Inheriting the tradition,

embracing the western wind

The Dexunlin Ancestral Hall was built by Mr. Lam Tee Chew (Lin Zichao), a famous banker and an overseas Chinese living in Malaysia in 1935 as a family shrine dedicated to the memory of his father. The Hall was mainly used for ancestor worship and family gatherings, as well as being used as a school for village kids. Later, as all the descendants of Mr. Lam Tee Chew settled overseas, the ancestral hall remained empty.

In 2020, Mr. Lam Tee Chew's granddaughter, Irene Lam (Lin Aiying), found Prof. Tan Jinhua (Selia Tan) on the Stanford University website. Recognizing the concept of the Cangdong Project and understanding its operations, the Lin family decided to entrust the Dexunlin Ancestral Hall to the management of the Cangdong Heritage Education Base in the hope of revitalizing the Ancestral Hall using the same mode. As a result, the temple has become the second base under the Cangdong Project.

Why did you choose the Dexunlin Ancestral Hall? Tan Jinhua said, "'Cangdong Project' is a bottom-up model. It was not me who chose the Dexunlin Ancestral Hall. It was the owner of the Ancestral Hall chose me. They believe the concepts of Cangdong and thus chose us. At the same time, this century-old overseas Chinese family Ancestral Hall has its own unique heritage value, which is worth preserving."

Covering an area of more than 600 square meters, the Dexunlin Ancestral Hall is of Cantonse ancestral hall architectural style, which contains all the architectural crafts of Lingnan architecture, and has Southeast Asian architectural influence. It is a living teaching material with high reference value for in-depth study of the architectural skills and overseas Chinese’s thoughts in the overseas Chinese hometowns of Wuyi Region during the Republic of China period. In 2019, the Dexunlin Ancestral Hall was assessed as a historical building by the Jiangmen Municipal Government.

"This ancestral hall is a typical fusion of Chinese and Western cultures, intricate and introverted, deeply reflecting Mr. Lam Tee Chew's experience of living in the Southeast Asia and his mindset of inheriting the tradition as well as embracing the Western culture." Tan Jinhua said Lam Tee Chew's emphasis on the traditional layout of the interior and the choice of the blue glazed tile roof not only adheres to the traditional reverence for gods and ancestors, but also shows his faith in traditional culture and his extraordinary financial strength. It is generally perceived that only the Temple of Heaven in Beijing, the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall in Guangzhou, and the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum in Nanjing can afford to use such a wide range of blue glazed tile roofs. His incorporation of the unique Southeast Asian-style windows and Western columns is a manifestation of the concept of using foreign elements for Chinese purposes in temple architecture.

Blue glazed tile roof of Dexunlin ancestral hall is unique in Wuyi Region.

When the ancestral hall exists,

 the roots remain 

In December 2022, the restoration of the Ancestral Hall was officially launched. It was an extremely difficult restoration process, with a large volume of houses, serious damage, and a variety of architectural decorative techniques, with the ceramic ridges in particular at risk. Tan Jinhua led the team to follow the international cultural heritage restoration concepts, fully respecting the authenticity and integrity of the Ancestral Hall.

According to Tan Jinhua, the restoration of an ancestral hall is the beginning of community building. During the restoration process, the craftsmen gradually realized the importance of traditional skills, the traditional cultural beliefs of the community were brought up with the restoration, the feelings of overseas descendants towards their hometowns and their knowledge of cultural heritage were strengthened, and their sense of identity towards their hometowns deepened when they got involved in the restoration process.

During the restoration, Tan Jinhua's team emphasized both the protection of architectural heritage and cultural inheritance.

There was a pair of couplets in the ancestral hall that had been damaged historically and the handwriting was blurred. They enlisted calligraphers to decipher the handwriting of the couplets - meaning “revitalizing education and cultivating talents requires long-term consideration, and planting flowers and bamboo is the best way to relax one’s mind” - this pair of couplets is the only remaining text in the ancestral hall. Tan Jinhua believed that the couplet held extraordinary significance from a heritage perspective, and that it could be used to understand the owner's thinking and the purpose behind the construction of the ancestral hall.

For this reason, Tan Jinhua used Mr. Zhao Yihan’s calligraphy to replicate the brick couplet on the wall directly opposite to the original site, using the original technique and brick materials, so that future generations can see the traces of history and feel the heart of the owner at that time through the old and new couplets. Tan Jinhua made a horizontal inscription "doing good" for this couplet, which is taken from the traditional cultural thought of "doing good is the greatest source of happiness", which is not only the philosophy of life of Mr. Lam Tee Chew, but also the reflection of the feelings of patriotism and love of home of the overseas Chinese.

At present, the Ancestral Hall conservation project has been basically completed, carrying out the internal perfect decoration. This overseas Chinese family shrine is gradually brushing off the dust of history, new vitality. Tan Jinhua's team hopes to rely on the strength of all parties to turn the ancestral hall into a center for root-searching and cultural exchanges.

Tan Jinhua believes that for overseas Chinese descendants, the ancestral hall is the home of their ancestors and the root of overseas Chinese. When the ancestral hall exists there, the roots remain. Here, by exchanging and sharing relevant achievements and conducting cross-border cultural exchange activities, we help overseas Chinese understand the history and culture of their own ethnic group, thereby building the identity of the Chinese overseas community. At the same time, we also enable people living in overseas Chinese hometowns to see the world and enhance understanding and identification between China and people from various countries around the world.

Dexunlin ancestral hall was in a very poor condition before renovation.

The "hero" behind

When the restored Dexunlin Ancestral Hall came into view, Tan Jinhua was overwhelmed with emotion and exclaimed "I can’t believe it". Looking back on the journey, she expressed her sincere admiration for the contractor, Mr. Chen Weiyang, referring to him as the "hero" behind the restoration project, and highlighting his deep passion for traditional culture and architectural conservation.

"The Cangdong Project, a non-profit enterprise, could not afford the substantial expenses of the restoration project of the Dexunlin Ancestral Hall. At this critical moment, Chen Weiyang from Xinhui took the initiative to participate in the project, and out of his personal appreciation for architectural heritage and recognition of the heritage preservation work done by the Cangdong Project, he advanced the funds for the restoration of the Dexunlin Ancestral Hall. Chen Weiyang said that although he didn't profit from doing this project, the whole process was enjoyable in which we had discussions and mutual respect, and meticulous work with dedication.

"This shows me the power of community building and the charm of the spirit of traditional culture. I can't imagine that in this day and age, there can still be the kind of trust that existed a century ago in a traditional society of acquaintances." Tan Jinhua said.

Tan Jinhua commented that the path of heritage conservation is difficult at the beginning, but as time goes by, more and more people will be found walking on the same path, "There is no road in the world, but when more people walk on it, it becomes a road. Although the path is still not so lively and there is still a sense of loneliness, I am thankful that we are in an era that values heritage."

【本文作者： 蔡昭璐】

【By/Photo by Cai Zhaolu】