Qiusu Li is the villa of Liu Chenggan, where Jiayetang Book Collection Building is located, and currently houses his photography exhibition. Liu Chenggan, the head of the ‘Four Elephants’ of Nanxun during the late Qing Dynasty and a ‘rich third-generation’, lived a life indifferent to wealth and uninterested in official careers. Despite his family’s decline in his later years, he remained content, immersed in his own small world, oblivious to the affairs outside. Feeling guilty about his family’s business, he referred to himself as ‘Qiusu Jushi’. Liu Chenggan named his book collection in Shanghai as ‘Qiusu Zhai’, and thus his Nanxun villa became ‘Qiusu Li’. Qiusu Li is another example of a Sino-Western architectural fusion in Nanxun. Upon entering, one encounters a long passage similar to Shanghai’s alleyways, with a Western-style gate in the middle, inscribed with the words ‘Zhe Xi Xiao Yin’. The top of the gate features several animals resembling golden toads, said to be the trademark of the Liu family’s silk business. At the end of the passage lies the Qiusu Li villa, situated in the garden. The first floor of the villa is a living room, adorned with an inscription by Wu Changshuo, one of the ‘Four Masters of Late Qing Haipai’, and a central hall featuring a painting of Li Bai’s ‘Drinking Song’, subtly displaying the owner’s determination not to seek wealth and his confidence in his innate talents. The second floor is the master’s bedroom, with a south-facing window offering a beautiful view, allowing one to enjoy the garden’s scenery up close and, from a distance, gaze upon Liu’s Xiaolianzhuang and Liu Chenggan’s own book collection building. On the second floor, there is a secret attic that is not easily noticeable; if you visit, don’t forget to look for it carefully! Opening hours and business status are subject to the day’s operations.
Qiusu Li – Liu Chenggan’s Villa
Qiusu Li is the villa of Liu Chenggan, where Jiayetang Book Collection Building is located, and currently houses his photography […]
