The Ming Dynasty Residences in Fu'an

The Ming Dynasty Residences in Fu'an

The Ming Dynasty residences in Fu'an are located in Fu'an Town, Dongtai City.

The Dong family residence at No. 2 Xiawai’ge Lane faces south, features a flat-style partitioned three-rafter structure, wooden column bases, spans three bays (13.8 meters wide), has a depth of seven rafters (6.7 meters), a eave height of 3.6 meters, and covers an area of about 95 square meters;

The Wang family residence at No. 105 Zhenbei Street faces south, employs a flat-style raised-beam structure with a kneeling corridor, features a flush gable roof, wooden column bases, and octagonal-shaped eave columns that reflect Song Dynasty architectural style, covering an area of 94.4 square meters;

The Ben family residence at No. 17 Banqiaobei Lane faces south, has a five-bay structure with front and rear corridors, a flush gable roof, wooden column bases, spans three bays (10.5 meters wide), has a depth of seven rafters (7 meters), a eave height of 2.9 meters, and covers an area of about 80 square meters;

The Lu family residences at No. 14 and No. 22 Lujia Lane consist of front and rear sections, both facing south with flush gable roofs and wooden column bases. The front hall features a kneeling corridor, spans three bays (12.3 meters wide), has a depth of eight rafters (7.4 meters), and covers an area of 91 square meters. The rear hall has a front corridor, spans two bays (9.25 meters wide), has a depth of seven rafters (8.55 meters), and covers an area of about 80 square meters.

In recent years, five additional Ming and early Qing Dynasty residences have been discovered in the town. These Ming and Qing residences are notable for their refined materials, diverse styles, and exquisite craftsmanship. The concentration of various types of Ming and Qing civilian houses in a single town is rare in northern Jiangsu. Some were built by official families, others by wealthy salt merchants, reflecting the prosperity of Fu'an Town during the Ming and Qing periods and providing valuable material for further research on local residential architecture of the time.

Fu'an Town: A town under the jurisdiction of Dongtai City. Established as the Fu'an District in 1945, renamed Fu'an Township in 1957, changed to a commune in 1958, and became a town in 1984. Located in the southeastern part of the city, 27 kilometers from the urban center, it covers an area of 100 square kilometers with a population of 69,000. National Highway 204 and Fu-Xu Road pass through the town. The Tongyu River and Chanchang River run through the area. The town administers Guheng, Jiantuan, Zhulin, Liangyi, Liangjiu, Wangang, Jiuli, Hangzhuang, Tongsheng, Funan, Fuxi, Weili, Hezhuang, Shangtuan, Wansheng, Anlan, Mengzhuang, Zhouba, Panchen, Zhuangqiao, Luzao, Chenfeng, Dingyu, Baota, Qinfeng, Jiuzao,... More detailed information about Fu'an Town++

Further Reading:

· Fourth Batch of Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units