Shuyin Tower

Shuyin Tower

Shuyin Tower is a Shanghai Municipal Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Shuyin Tower (ShuyinLou) is located at No. 77 Tiandeng Lane, Xundao Street, in Nanshi District. It covers an area of 1,515 square meters with a construction area of 1,939 square meters. Originally the residence of Shen Chu (from Pinghu), an Inner Cabinet Secretary and Minister of War during the Qianlong and Jiaqing eras of the Qing Dynasty, it was purchased around the early Daoguang era by the Guo family, owners of the Guo Wanfeng Shipping Company. The front section of the house features three parallel structures, with the central main hall having seven-beam construction, and wing rooms such as the sedan chair hall and flower hall on the east and west sides. The rear eastern side includes the Huayu Pavilion, boat pavilion, rockeries, and flower stands. The western side is enclosed by a wind-fire wall over 10 meters high, forming the inner residential quarters with front and rear tower halls and east and west wing rooms, creating a U-shaped corridor structure. The front tower hall bears a plaque inscribed with “Shuyin Tower,” written by Shen Chu, which originally served as a library.

The entire architectural complex is most renowned for its exquisite brick carvings and woodwork. Above the gates of the five inner sections, there is a plaque inscribed with “Ancient Teachings as Model.” The decorative panels on both sides and the upper and lower beams of the plaque feature carvings depicting scenes such as “King Wen Visiting a Sage,” “Emperor Mu Meeting the Queen Mother of the West,” and “Laozi Leaving the Hangu Pass.” The brick carvings are rich in figures and vividly shaped mythical beasts such as phoenixes and oxen. On the eastern and western sides of the upper floor, where they connect with the wings, large brick carvings resembling screens depict “The Three Stars Wishing Longevity” and “The Eight Immortals Touring the Mountains,” considered national treasures of stone carving art. The wooden panels, beams, cloud boards, and bracket boards feature delicate relief and openwork carvings of motifs including plum, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum flowers, lions, phoenixes, bats, as well as imaginative designs such as “Autumn Moon over the Han Palace,” “Pavilion of Prince Teng,” and “Three Stars,” all showcasing extraordinary artistry.

During the Cultural Revolution, apart from the inner residential area, the building suffered varying degrees of damage. It was later used by a toy factory, during which time the decorative windows and doors of the flower hall and boat hall were removed, resulting in considerable destruction. A neighboring pickles factory constructed a building that impacted the wind-fire wall, causing cracks as wide as 20 centimeters in some places. The Nanshi District Cultural Relics Protection Fund Management Committee planned to negotiate with the property owner for emergency repairs.

In 1987, it was designated as a Shanghai Municipal Cultural Relics Protection Unit.