Zhang Hall is one of the few Ming Dynasty buildings in Zhouzhuang Ancient Town. It was originally named Yishun Hall and later renamed Yuyan Hall, commonly known as Zhang Hall. Zhang Hall is an official residence with its own garden. The layout of ‘carriages enter through the front door and boats pass through the home’ is very interesting. The first entrance of Zhang Hall is the foyer. The second entrance is the carriage hall, also known as the tea hall, used by the owner to receive ordinary guests such as carriage drivers and boatmen.
There is a natural marble screen wall in the hall, and the texture on it is like a landscape painting. The third entrance is the main hall, Yuyan Hall, used for holding weddings, funerals and celebrations and receiving distinguished guests. There are Ming-style furniture in the hall. There are two prominent oval carved panels in each corner of the main beam of the roof, like the hat wings on ancient official hats. This is a reflection of the characteristics of an official residence, so this hall is also called the Gauze Hat Hall. The fourth entrance, the lobby building, is where the female relatives live. It is worth noting that the nanmu drum piers under the pillars have survived for more than 500 years and are very precious. There is a couplet in the middle of the wall in the hall that reads, ‘Carriages enter through the front door and boats pass through the home’. The fifth entrance is the room for playing musical instruments, chess and calligraphy. The sixth entrance is the study, and then there is the back garden. The back garden really has its outstanding features. The small river Zhujing in the garden is connected to the large lake outside. There is a square pool used for turning around and docking boats. In fact, this is the private dock of the Zhang family, that is, ‘boats pass through the home’. The wealth of the Zhang family can be seen. A Taihu stone, Yuyan Peak, in the back garden is also very eye-catching. In addition, there is a side alley on the east side of the hall of Zhang Hall. The side alley is very narrow and only allows one person to pass through. In ancient times, when there were no important guests coming, the main door was not opened. In those days, this side alley was the way the family members usually took when entering and leaving.Opening hours: Open all year round from 08:00 to 20:00.
Service facilities: Parking lot: [Tourist Center Parking Lot]. Reference price: ¥10/time. Address: Tourist Center Parking Lot on Diannan Road. Number of parking spaces: 800.
