The former residence of Kang Youwei is a national key cultural relic protection unit and also a scenic spot famous all over the country and overseas. The former residence of Kang Youwei is composed of major buildings and scenic areas such as the Kang Youwei Memorial Hall, the former residence of Kang Youwei, the Kang’s Ancestral Hall, Danru Tower, Songxuan, and lotus pond, covering an area of more than 20,000 square meters.
The Kang Youwei Memorial Hall is composed of two floors of exhibition halls, showing Kang Youwei’s magnificent life from his diligent study in his youth, his aspiration to serve the country in his youth, his petition for reform and modernization as an ordinary person in his middle age to save the national crisis, his exile overseas after the failure of the reform, and his establishment of the Society for Strengthening Learning and writing books. From this, one can understand the struggling trajectory of the great man Kang Youwei in seeking truth. It has profound cultural and historical connotations. The former residence of Kang Youwei is also known as ‘Yanxiang Ancient House’. Built in 1858, Kang Youwei was born in this ancient house. The former residence is a green brick wok-ear house with one hall, two rooms and two corridors. It is a typical Qing Dynasty civilian residence in the Pearl River Delta. Yanxiang Ancient House adopts a green brick wall and rafter wood structure, full of antique charm. The hall of the ancient house has a loft built with black wooden boards. There is a patio in the middle of the two corridors. The ancient house has sufficient lighting and good ventilation. It is warm in winter and cool in summer, and the environment is very comfortable. Yanxiang Ancient House is a well-preserved Qing Dynasty building with good ornamental and research value. In this former residence, Kang Youwei read Chinese and Western books extensively and initially formed a reformist ideological system. Here, he wrote the first draft of the treatise ‘Book of Great Harmony’ which still enjoys high reputation at home and abroad. Kang Youwei spent a very important adolescence in his life in this former residence. Therefore, the former residence is endowed with rich cultural connotations. Opening hours: Open from Tuesday to Sunday throughout the year from 09:00 to 17:00. Closed on Mondays (except for legal holidays and special circumstances).
