There are many ancestral temples in the south, but why are there few in the north?

Because compared with the south, the north has been a political center for a long time, and frequent wars have led to the decline of ancestral temple culture.

Although Chinese civilization originated in the Central Plains, the Central Plains has been invaded by nomadic people in the north. During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, he was harassed by dogs and Huns. The Han Dynasty was threatened by Xiongnu, and Emperor Wudi fought against Xiongnu many times. The Tang Dynasty was invaded by Turks, the Ming Dynasty was seized by Vala, and so on. The north has been in war and turmoil. Whenever people are displaced during the war, ancestral temples will be destroyed by the war.

At the same time, war will also bring about a sharp decrease in population. Many ancestral temples in villages are often destroyed in wars. For example, after Zhu Yuanzhang won the world, the population in the Central Plains dropped by more than 80%, which even threatened the rule of the imperial court, thus starting a 50-year-long population migration, and thus having the history of "Shanxi Sophora japonica" immigration.

The formation background of ancestral hall culture in North and South China;

China was an agricultural society in ancient times, and people formed a family-based social organization based on blood relationship. There is a strict hierarchy and etiquette norms between families, with filial piety as the core and respect for ancestors and elders.

Patriarchal system is the legal basis of this kind of social organization, which stipulates the rights and obligations within the family, as well as the relationship and attitude towards the outside. In the history of China, the patriarchal clan system experienced a development process from special to universal, from simple to complex, from loose to strict. In such a social environment, ancestral temples have become an important place for family maintenance and development.

Ancestral shrine is not only a place to worship ancestors, unite people, inherit culture, educate children, punish unfilial, resolve disputes, preside over weddings and funerals, but also a destination tool for families to show their prestige and status, compete for resources, resist foreign invasion and safeguard their own interests. Therefore, in ancient times, whether in the south or the north, there was the need and motivation to establish and protect their ancestral halls.