Chen's Ancestral Temple also known as Guangdong Folk Art Museum, has long been looked upon as the ultimate in Cantonese construction of the past glory. It is situated in Zhongshan Qi Lu, Guangzhou City, is a memorial to the Chen people of Guangdong Province. The ancestral hall was also used as a learning and living place for generations of the Chen family who came to the town to take the imperial examination. So the temple is also known as the Chen Family Shuyuan (academy of classical learning). The four year construction ( 1890 - 1894) during the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911) made the temple an excellent example of Chinese architecture and intricate decoration.

In the late of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), a man named Chen got the third place in the highest imperial examination and had conferred upon him a distinguished office title which made the Family Chen well-known. Later someone suggested that all the Chen's families raise money to build a temple to sacrifice to the ancestors and encourage their offspring likewise to study hard. Therefore, the temple was finished in 1894 with the money donated by Chen's families in 72 counties of Guangdong Province as well as some overseas members of Family Chen.

The temple is composed of nearly twenty structures, six courtyards and long corridors surrounded by brick a wall which is typical of the ancestral temple layout in Guangdong Province. The Ancestral Temple of the Chen Family is world renowned not only for its imposing architecture, but also for its exquisite craftwork and decoration. It is possible to see the many arts and crafts used in the different styles of wood carvings, stone carvings, brick carvings, pottery sculptures, murals and bronze and iron castings in the temple. All this workmanship makes the temple simple, elegant and magnificent. The woodcarvings in particular are of great importance. The most important of which is a teak screen on a corridor carved on both sides on which the vivid images tell many historical folk stories. The majestic buildings, spacious and bright halls and the quiet courtyards are a fine example of the traditional architectural style of southern China.

In addition, some of the contents and forms of expression seem to have been influenced by the foreign cultures, for example, "the image of the little angel". It is one of the examples of the intermingling of the traditional Chinese culture and Western culture. The local artisans absorbed extensively the traditional techniques as well as the Western skills, not confined to the traditional materials and art tradition. They have enriched the Chinese folk arts and handicrafts, placing them further on the international stage of arts.