Hu Bu Mountain, located south of the old city of Xuzhou, is a nearby high point outside the city of Xuzhou. Historically, the Yellow River has flooded the city many times. To avoid the disasters of the Yellow River, some officials and merchants spared no expense in building residences around Hu Bu Mountain. From the late Ming Dynasty to modern times, over several hundred years, Hu Bu Mountain has been surrounded by high houses and large courtyards, with residential buildings closely packed together. Among them are the residences of high-ranking officials, wealthy merchants, and distinguished families. These ancient buildings are constructed according to the terrain, with a clever design that creates a unique architectural style. It is a rare ancient residential building complex in Northern Jiangsu and the border areas of Shandong, Henan, and Anhui. The ancient residences of Hu Bu Mountain not only have the neat and uniform layout of northern quadrangles but also the twists and beauty of southern residences. The walls are mostly made of blue stone and blue bricks, with large beams and exquisitely carved rafters and beams. Hu Bu Mountain is also an active commercial area and a larger goods distribution center at the junction of Shandong, Henan, and Anhui. There are many commercial buildings in this area. The Old Salt Shop was a management institution during the monopoly of the salt industry in the past. The front part sold and stored salt, and the back part was the management agency, with hundreds of rooms, forming a ‘front shop, back office’ pattern. There are also many merchant courtyards, with the front part for trade and the back part for the merchants’ residences. Opening hours are from 09:00 to 16:30 all year round. A must-see tip: The Mandarin Duck Building. To make full use of the terrain and reduce the amount of work, this unique Mandarin Duck Building was built in places with a large drop. This building is divided into two levels, stacked on top of each other, with the lower part of the wall utilizing the original mountain body. The building has a ladder inside, and the doors on the upper and lower floors face in opposite directions, reflecting the intelligence of the people of Xuzhou in transforming and utilizing nature, and it is a creation of the people of Xuzhou in the history of architecture.
