Zhang Laodao’s Family Residence

Zhang Laodao’s Family Residence

Zhang Laodao’s Family Residence is a cultural relic protection unit of Liaoning Province.

Zhang Laodao’s Family Residence is located in Yuejia Village, Daniu Town, Tai’an, and is a typical late Qing Dynasty “hard three-room” style building. The entire house features “mortar-jointed bricks,” and the massive beams inside reveal the simplicity and sturdiness of the construction techniques of the time. Well-preserved and standing firm despite eighty years of weathering, such structures are now rare across the three northeastern provinces. In 2004, the municipal and county governments jointly funded 200,000 RMB to partially restore the old street of Zhang Laodao’s Family Residence, but traces of the nearly eighty years of weathering are still faintly visible.

Zhang Laodao was not a real Taoist with long beard and hair. He once worked as a farmhand, then became a muleteer, and later robbed Russian military provisions during the Russo-Japanese War, which became the starting point of his rise to wealth. Gradually, he became a well-known local magnate. Later, he practiced in a Taoist temple, and afterward, he did several charitable deeds for the village. Through generations of villagers’ retelling, his story took on a mysterious aura. After Zhang Laodao passed away, the locals, unwilling to forget his virtues, even replaced his original name, Zhang Guowen, with “Zhang Laodao.”

To protect the old residence, the village committee of Yuejia Village is stationed in “Zhang Laodao’s Family Residence.” An old mounting stone in front of the gate, unable to withstand the test of time, has sunk deep into the ground and is almost level with the surface. On either side of the gate are pillow stones with carvings—one depicts “Five Blessings Surrounding Longevity,” while the other was smashed beyond recognition during the “Four Olds” campaign. The two thick wooden doors creak open, and as you step into the old residence, the vast space instantly echoes with footsteps, as if one can still hear the clamor of servants calling out and the bustling of horse-drawn carts. At the end of the porch, a pair of swallows are missing; according to the elderly caretaker, they were a pair of flying phoenixes that complemented an iron flower fence outside the gate, with exquisitely carved details that were truly exceptional. On both sides of the porch are Buddhist shrines—the niches remain, but the statues are gone. Zhang Xirong explains that the five-bay “Zhang Laodao’s Family Residence” is a typical late Qing Dynasty “hard three-room” structure, and its well-preserved condition is rare across the three northeastern provinces. Later measurements showed that the main house faces the cardinal direction (due south), an orientation reserved only for temples in those days, which makes the surviving “Zhang Laodao’s Family Residence” even more precious.

Two flying clouds on the ridge of the main house display a hint of soaring eaves, and the blue bricks and dark tiles emit a faint ancient fragrance. The entire house features “mortar-jointed bricks,” and the massive beams inside reveal the simplicity and sturdiness of the construction techniques of the time. As a result, it has stood firm through a century of wind and rain. The wall brackets are adorned with shallow reliefs featuring patterns such as “pomegranates symbolizing many children” and “flowers representing prosperity.” Among them, the “Chess, Music, Calligraphy, and Painting” beneath the gable wall is the most exquisite, with vividly realistic ribbons full of dynamic movement, reflecting the exceptional craftsmanship of the stonemasons at the time. The approximately 1,000-square-meter residence is enclosed by walls over ten feet high. Originally, there were eight bronze bells on the walls, giving the entire compound an air of prominence and dignity, while also evoking a sense of seclusion and oppression. It is said that outside the walls were miles of poplar and willow trees. In his later years, the homeowner also had a taste for leisure—listening to evening drums and morning bells, composing his own tunes, gently tapping the wooden clappers, slowly plucking the strings, and gazing at the wildflowers blooming and butterflies fluttering, embodying the demeanor of a hermit sage.

The four-corner double-layer watchtowers, once used for defense and symbolizing authority, were destroyed in the early years of the People’s Republic, leaving only ruins. Back then, Zhou Zongshen, a notorious bandit from southern Liaoning, led over a hundred followers in an attack on the Zhang family residence, but they were utterly defeated by the thirty-plus guards stationed in the watchtowers. Three days later, after failing to breach the defenses, Zhou Zongshen walked into the Zhang residence alone, turned his back, knelt before Zhang Guowen, and called him “father” three times. Exhausted, Zhang Guowen happily accepted him as an adopted son and gifted him a pistol and a swift horse. From then on, the Zhang family formed ties with these “bandits by day, civilians by night” greenwood figures.

From Zhang Xiuzhi, an elder of the same clan as “Zhang Laodao,” we heard many stories about the owner of “Zhang Laodao’s Family Residence.” “Zhang Laodao,” whose original name was Zhang Guowen and also known as Zhang Yunhua, was born in 1879 (the fifth year of the Guangxu reign in the Qing Dynasty). He started as a farmhand, but after his employer’s family was frequently robbed, he joined a muleteer group. During the Russo-Japanese War, Zhang Guowen successfully robbed Russian military provisions and then fled to Yiwulu Mountain in Beizhen, where he met an elderly Taoist priest in the temple. The priest, old and ailing, was deeply respected by Zhang. After the priest passed away, he entrusted Zhang Guowen with “managing” his mantle. Later, after Russia’s defeat, Zhang Guowen re-emerged, acquiring over 1,200 acres of fertile land, employing more than 30 farmhands and 30 guards, and running the “Lao Tianhe” business in Fengtian City and “Lao Baihuo” in Tianjin. His businesses thrived, and he transported gold and silver back by horse caravan every other month.

What had faded in the east had not yet waned in the west. Having reached his twilight years, Zhang Guowen began to grow tired of the ups and downs of commerce and the hardships of war, showing a special fondness for his homeland. Thus, he undertook major construction, building this luxurious mansion covering nearly one square kilometer. On October 1, 1929, Zhang Guowen erected a Filial Piety Archway for his mother and sister-in-law. Three skilled craftsmen were hired and spent three years and seven months carving it. The archway bears the inscription “Noble and Pure Fragrance,” written by Bai Peiheng, the then governor of Fengtian. This single project cost over 80,000 silver dollars. The Cultural Revolution’s devastation quickly reduced this three-gate, four-pillar, three-story structure to ruins. Today, scattered pieces of white marble can be found throughout the village, and upon closer inspection, one can see exquisitely carved patterns of clouds and lotus branches on the fragments, exuding a desolate beauty. In the old residence, one pillar of the archway remains, inscribed with the eight characters “Integrity Like Bamboo, Heart Like Pine,” written in graceful, flowing calligraphy, though regrettably without a signature. With the help of enthusiastic villagers, among over a hundred fragments, the signature “Liaoyang Bai Yongzhen” was finally found.

In the old residence lies a bluestone “Merit Stele,” quietly sleeping for nearly a century, buried in overgrown weeds. After summoning several strong villagers to lift the stone and wash it with water, the inscriptions became faintly visible. Yuejia Village was established on the 27th day of the ninth month in the third year of the Shunzhi reign. During the Kangxi era, the “Nine Saints Shrine” was built to enshrine nine deities including the God of Fire, Dragon King, God of Wealth, Horse King, and Earth God. Ravaged by war, the “Shrine” was leveled to the ground, and Zhang Guowen funded its restoration. It is not hard to see the working people’s pursuit and longing for a peaceful life amidst hardship, and the virtue-loving “Zhang Laodao” was also seeking divine protection for himself.

In May 1939, Zhang Laodao “ascended” at his home at the age of 61.

Protected Area: Within the surrounding wall and within 5 meters outside the foundation on the east and west sides, and within 4 meters on the south and north sides.

Construction Control Zone: A secondary control zone extends 25 meters outside the protected area on the east, west, and north sides, and 20 meters on the south side.

Yuejia Village: Yuejia Village…… More information about Yuejia Village++

Further Reading:

· Eighth Batch of Cultural Relic Protection Units of Liaoning Province