Fenghao Mansion, also known as the Former Residence of the Jiang Family, is an important cultural landmark in Xikou Town. Traditionally, each family in the area had a unique name, and the Jiangs, belonging to the ‘Zhou’ generation in their family tree, chose the names of the ancient capitals of the Western Zhou Dynasty, Fengyi and Haojing, as their family name, hoping their lineage would prosper as the Western Zhou did.
Fenghao Mansion, also referred to as ‘Sujiu’, got its name because the Jiang family practiced Buddhism, abstained from meat, and chanted scriptures. The mansion covers an area of 4800 square meters with a construction area of 1850 square meters. The architectural layout follows the traditional layout of a noble family’s residence, with a front hall, a rear hall, and two side corridors.There are three gardens adjacent to the front hall and the left and right sides, connected by moon gate doors. In the small central courtyard, there are two gold and silver osmanthus trees on either side, planted by Soong Mei-ling herself. The eastern wing was reserved for her residence but remained unoccupied. The western wing was the residence of Mao Fumei. To the west of the western wing stands an independent small building, originally a family heritage of three rooms, which was the former residence of Jiang’s mother, Wang Caiyu. Out of respect for ancestors and to preserve the feng shui, all new houses built during the expansion of Fenghao Mansion were not allowed to exceed the height of this ancestral residence.
Fenghao Mansion also features three major attractions: carvings, colored paintings, and relief sculptures. Upon entering the front hall, one can see the relief sculpture at the center of the roof, flanked by ‘Double Dragons Playing with a Pearl’. The Baoben Hall, dedicated to ancestor worship and honoring the heavens, is the core of the entire Fenghao Mansion architecture. At the ends of the corridors, there are two colored paintings, ‘The Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea’ on the east side and ‘Jiang Taigong Fishing’ on the west side.
