Hu Xueyan’s Former Residence is located near Hefang Street. It is a luxurious mansion built by the renowned late Qing Dynasty merchant Hu Xueyan.
The residence, built in 1872 during the Tongzhi era of the Qing Dynasty, is divided into a central axis and eastern and western courtyards. Entering the main gate leads to the central axis area, which includes a sedan chair hall and a hundred lion building for daily guest reception. Inside the sedan chair hall, there are two exquisitely crafted rosewood official sedan chairs. It is said that the beams of the hall are all made of ginkgo wood, even more particular than the materials used in the Forbidden City.
The western courtyard is the garden frequently visited by Hu Xueyan, known as Zhiyuan Garden. It has pavilions, corridors, winding bridges, and rugged rockery groups. The construction of the rockery alone cost over a hundred thousand taels of silver. The ‘Yufeng Hall’ on the rockery was one of the tallest buildings in Hangzhou at that time.
The eastern courtyard consists of halls such as the Harmony Hall, the Elegant Hall, and the Phoebe Hall, which were the living quarters of the owner’s family. From the pavilions and towers to the woodcarvings and stone carvings in this residence, the materials and craftsmanship are extremely particular. Especially the courtyard rockery is exquisitely built, fully displaying the garden art of the Jiangnan region.The Harmony Hall’s columns are made of South Seas fir, the railings of rosewood, and the lattice windows of hibiscus wood. Each room has exquisite brick-carved doorways depicting immortals, animals, and plants. The Phoebe Hall’s beams, window lattices, and carvings are all made of precious phoebe wood, making it a wonder.
After Hu Xueyan’s death, the former residence gradually fell into disrepair. Although most of the current buildings are modern reconstructions and restorations, walking through this mini-palace-like masterpiece and listening to the guides narrate the stories of the past, one can still feel the once glorious life of the red-top tycoon.
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