Photographs by Meng Qingchun (孟庆春) 

Winter solstice marks the shortest day in the northern hemisphere; perhaps this was the reason for the Huang family’s annual reunion—celebrating being halfway out of the dark. Given the fact that there are over one thousand extended family members coming over, the shortest day possible is certainly a blessing for anyone forced to put on a smile for the arduous duty of maintaining family spirit.

The festive occasion blends the old and the new, apparently calling for both traditional dress and selfies

Joking aside, the Huang family of Pingdi Village in Foshan City, Guangdong Province, have been there for almost a century. Originally from the Yangtze River Delta, their ancestors decided to move south to escape the constant war and upheaval. Over the past century, the family became successful in Guangzhou, as its members spread all over the country and abroad.

Before the morning ritual takes place, an elderly family member poses for a picture in the newly-decorated courtyard of the ancestral hall

Like all large clans with wealth and reputation, the Huangs have kept a grand ancestral hall at their home base. A sacred place for the spirit of the ancestors to rest and guard the family, it also serves as the venue for local festive occasions such as weddings and birthdays. First built in the Ming Dynasty (1368 – 1644), the ancestral hall, though “protected” by the spirits, has gone through a number of tribulations, including being vandalized during the Cultural Revolution and used by the local government as a conference hall, tea house, and later a warehouse. In the 1990s, donations from the Huangs restored their ancestral hall to its former glory, having been given the status of a historic relic site and continuing to serve as a spiritual symbol to unite the family.

The senior members of the family, tired from the day’s grand event, take a bit of time for a midday nap

Winter solstice worship is one of the two major Chinese ancestral worship events throughout the year, the other being the Qingming Festival in the spring. On this day, seniors over 60 in the Huang family pray in a group in front of the shrine and later, as with every family reunion, pose for a photo together. Everyone is treated to a grand feast while they chatter on into the night—the Chinese family experience.

Women used to be forbidden from entering the ancestral hall, but today a select few can join the worship. however, it’s still not the norm for women to attend at all

A group photo of the elders and the youngsters in front of the main hall

A grand feast to feed the entire family carries on into the night