An ancestral shrine, hall or temple (Chinese:祠堂; pinyin:Cítáng or Chinese:宗祠; pinyin:Zōng Cí), also called lineage temple, is a Chinese temple dedicated to deified ancestors and progenitors of surname lineages or families in the Chinese traditional religion. Ancestral temples are closely linked to Confucian culture and the emphasis that it places on filial piety.