Former Residence of Song Cao

Former Residence of Song Cao

The Former Residence of Song Cao is located at No. 4 Ruxue Street in Yancheng City.

It was the home of Song Cao, a renowned calligrapher and painter from the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. It now houses the Yancheng Calligraphy and Painting Academy and the Yancheng Calligraphy Association. It is a cultural relic protection unit of Jiangsu Province.

Song Cao was born in the Gengshen year of the Wanli era during the Ming Dynasty (1620 AD) and was a celebrated calligrapher in the early Qing period. He left behind a large body of calligraphic works, which are scattered across the Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai regions. Song Cao was immensely talented and served as a Hanlin academician during the Hongguang era of the Southern Ming. After the fall of the Ming Dynasty, he retired to seclusion in Yancheng, residing at what is now No. 4 Ruxue Street.

The residence is divided into two courtyards, east and west, with the gate facing east. It is approximately 33 meters long from east to west and 18 meters wide from north to south. The east courtyard consists of the entrance gate, the Shuping Caotang Hall, the Tongyin Tower, and the central hall, while the west courtyard includes the Listening to the Qin Tea House, the Qin Pavilion, and the stele corridor. The entire complex is built in the style of a Qing Dynasty brick-and-wood residential structure, featuring blue bricks, gray tiles, and a fireproof gable wall.

Further Reading:

· Fourth Batch of Cultural Relic Protection Units of Jiangsu Province