十摄影工作室 ｜ 谭啸
Qing Shui Meditation Retreat Center
清水禅舍

Design Agency
Xiamen Pan-China • RESP Studio
厦门泛华·回应建筑工作室
Chief Designer
Chen Yan’an, Zhou Weidong
陈延安,周伟栋
Client
Anxi Qingshuiyan Scenic Area Management Co., Ltd., Anxi Penglai Chamber of Commerce, Anxi Qingshui Cultural
安溪清水岩风景旅游区管理有限责任公司、安溪县蓬莱商会、安溪县清水文化旅游发展基金会
Construction
Fujian Anzhuo Construction Engineering Co., Ltd.
福建省安卓建设工程有限公司
Lighting Design
Chengdu Yizhanzhan Lighting Design
成都一盏盏照明设计

Photography
STUDIO TEN-Tan Xiao
十摄影工作室-谭啸

2026.02
1030㎡
Xi’an,China
The project is situated in the core scenic area of Qingshuiyan Ancestral Hall in Anxi, Quanzhou. Its guiding principle is to preserve every tree, fostering harmonious coexistence between the new construction and nature. The central ancient banyan tree serves as the key thread for organizing space and circulation. Confronted with the narrow site and significant elevation differences, we placed the main functions underground, gradually set back the ground volume, and opened a transitional grey space on the east side to deliberately blur the boundary between the building and the forest.
The temple referred to here is located at the northern foot of Penglai Mountain in Anxi County, Quanzhou—it is the Qingshuiyan Ancestral Hall, first constructed in the Northern Song Dynasty and boasting a history of over a thousand years to this day. Penglai Mountain is shrouded in mist year-round, resembling a “Penglai Wonderland.” Dedicated primarily to Patriarch Qingshui and integrating Buddhist culture, the Ancestral Hall serves as a vital folk belief center in Fujian, Taiwan, and Southeast Asia, with more than 100 million believers and an unbroken flow of incense.
The functional layout unfolds in harmony with the terrain. The main entrance on the first floor serves dual roles as a foyer and an open hall facing the square. From here, one enters the tea house area; the rooms face the courtyard to the south and overlook tree trunks to the north. The open space on the east side directly faces the ancient mountain trail guarded by a pair of stone lions.
The second floor is a relatively private space, housing a rest room. The eastern platform extends into the forest, engaging in a dialogue with the mountains; the western side connects to the roof terrace, where one can gaze upon the Ancestral Hall in the distance.
Stepping down to the basement level, one reaches the foyer of the vegetarian restaurant. On one side lies the outer corridor of the sunken courtyard, where landscape stones and flowing water create a serene, cave-like transitional atmosphere, leading to the outdoor courtyard beneath the trees. On the other side of the foyer, the multi-functional hall is accessible via the front hall, where outdoor tree shadows and distant mountains are framed into the interior; from here, one can step into the courtyard and spiral back to the square along the artificial stone steps.
A Bird’s-Eye View of Qingshuiyan’s Main Hall
Qing Shui Meditation Retreat Center
清水禅舍
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