Space and Order:Village,Ancestral Temple and Clan Society in Southeast Hubei in the Ming and Qing Dynasties

In the Ming and Qing Dynasties,village patterns of clan regions in Southeast Hubei Province were formed not only by hilly natural environment,but also due to migrations different in time and diffusion.There were settlement pat- terns such as several village with the same family name gathered in the same area,or one village with one family name scattered in the same area.Those village patterns nurtured clan organizations which were promoted by migrants from Juangxi and other regions of strong patriarchal tradition and struggles for living space between different clans in southeast Hubei in the Ming and Qing Dynasties.Clan temples were built in aeeordenee with clan settlement patterns in the struc- ture of Zong Ci (ancestral temple),Zhi Ci (branch ancestral temple) and Jia Ci (family ancestral temple).The branch ancestral temple of clan village named Zu Tang (ancestral hall),Zong Wu (clan building) or Gong Wu (public build- ing) was the public space of the village,a center for public affairs such as clan sacrifice,entertainment,education and production.So,it can be argued that the symbolic function of clan buildings and mangement of patriarchal organizations formed conjuucdy civil order of clan society in sontheast Hubei ever siince the Qing Dyuasty.