In the late Qing Dynasty, Wu Yinsun, while serving as the magistrate of Ningbo and Shaoxing in Zhejiang Province, hired Zhejiang craftsmen to build a private residence with both Ningbo, Yangzhou styles and Western styles. What is worth noting in the entire residence is the library built in imitation of Tianyi Pavilion in Ningbo – Cehai Tower. Wu Daotai Mansion is a rectangular courtyard. It is said that in ancient times, it was stipulated that private houses could not exceed 100 rooms.
Therefore, the Wu family used the maximum allowed number and built 99.5 rooms, commonly known as ‘ninety-nine and a half rooms’. Now there are 86 rooms left. On the central axis, there are buildings such as the foyer, Western-style building, Zhuque Hall, cool hall, fish pond, and Cehai Tower. The western part is the inner residence, with three entrances in front and back, surrounded by corridors and separated by open slate patios. It is tall and spacious. The brick carvings on the lintel above the main entrance of Wu Daotai Mansion are very beautiful, and the pair of stone lions under the door are also very exquisite. Entering the gate, you will reach the gate hall. There is a pair of stone drums as tall as people standing in front of the gate hall. After entering the gate hall, the side door on the east side of the corridor can lead to Cehai Tower in the northeast corner. At its peak, Cehai Tower once collected 240,000 volumes of books. Unfortunately, they have all been scattered now. However, the tradition of attaching importance to culture has made many literati and celebrities among the descendants of the Wu family. There is a not small fish pond in front of Cehai Tower, and the pool water is connected to the waters outside the residence. The restaurant in Wu Daotai Mansion occupies part of the buildings in the scenic area. You can enter for dining through another door. For the specific location, you can consult the staff at the entrance. Opening hours: Open from 09:00 to 17:00 all year round. The specific business status is subject to the opening situation on the day. Must-see tips: 1. At the entrance of Wu Daotai Mansion, you can hire a tour guide. The guide fee is 30 yuan per time for less than 5 people. For more than 5 people, an additional 6 yuan per person will be charged, with a ceiling of 80 yuan. 2. Wu Daotai Mansion is about 700 meters away from the Shuangdong Historical Block (including Dongguan Street Historical Block and Dongquanmen Historical Block), which can be visited together. 3. The alley next to the main entrance of Wu Daotai Mansion is very charming. After walking in, you can see the living appearance of the people in the old city. Following the signs in the alley, it takes about 5 minutes on foot to reach Zhu Ziqing’s former residence.
