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Located in the Yuanbao Street of Hangzhou City, the Former Residence of Hu Xueyan is the residence for Mr. Hu Xueyan who was a quite famous and rich businessman in late Qing Dynasty. The residence was constructed in 1872 in the 11th year of the reign of Emperor Tongzhi with an enormous occupation of 5,815 square meters. By its beautiful gardens and buildings with its high artistic and cultural values, this private mansion now has been a hot attraction for people when on a Hangzhou tour.
To explore how rich Hu Xueyan’s life was in the 1870s and how luxury this mansion is, this fantastic residence has the answer for you. Former residence of Hu Xueyan is a mansion that has stunning scenery featured with both Chinese traditional architecture also characterized with western styles. It boasts towers and pavilions, terraces, bridge, pond, verandas and corridors, rockeries, streams and trees. What’s more amazing about this mansion is that it was built by using high-class timber with a spectacular quantity. Red sandalwood, nanmu, ginkgo, hoop pine and Chinese beech are seen inside this mansion. With its enormousness, high-grade timber used and the artistic architectures, this house is reputed as the most luxury mansion in ancient China.
As Mr. Hu Xueyan was a Hui merchant, this mansion built by him is outstandingly featured with Hui styles. With tall walls surrounded the whole complex, you could not see the towers and pavilions inside the mansion from the outside. As it is located in a quite secluded place and its understated door may puzzle you how luxury this mansion would be. But after the door, you will be surprised at its amazing internal design and buildings.
There are 13 towers and a large Zhiyuan that cpnplexed the main parts of the mansion. With the winding verandas and corridors that connects towers and pavilions, terraces and streams that stands among tall trees, the rockery which is the largest artificial karst caves in China with an exquisite bridge lying beside, you would feel like walking in an ancient maze in the garden. While artistic craftworks are often seen in the mansion, exquisite engraves of wooden, brick, stone and colorful paintings are laid among buildings. There are also calligraphy works of ancient famous people like Tang Bohu and Zheng Banqiao in the mansion that worth admiration.
This mansion is a miniature of the luxury life of Hu Xueyan. The blue glassed window inside the mansion implies how rich he was as blue glass was a rare item at that ancient times. The two sedan chairs that are made of precious Red sandalwood are also reflections of his rich life.
Walking through this mansion while enjoying its grandness and spectaculars, all you feel is a sense of peace with the astonishment at its amazing buildings. This mansion displays how a legendary life Mr. Hu Xueyan had at his times. Whether you penetrate this mansion from the aspect of history, culture or artistic, you will find what you want.
Travel tips for Former Residence of Hu Xueyan
Location: No. 18, Yuanbao Street, Shangcheng District, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province
Entrance Fee: CNY20
Recommended time for a visit: 2-3 hours
What to see: Exquisite design and magnificent architectures of the house.
Opening hour: 8:00AM – 5:30PM
Tel: 0571-86821131