Wu Shi Nanmu Hall

Wu Shi Nanmu Hall

Wu Shi Nanmu Hall is a cultural heritage site protected at the municipal level in Yixing.

Wu Shi Nanmu Hall, originally located on Baiguo Lane in Yicheng Town, Yixing City, was designated as a county-level cultural heritage site by the Yixing County People's Government in January 1985.

Constructed during the Zhengde era of the Ming Dynasty, Wu Shi Nanmu Hall was the private residence of Wu Shi, a local resident. Wu Shi, courtesy name Kexue and art name Yishan, became a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations) in 1514 (the ninth year of the Zhengde reign) and was appointed as an official in the Ministry of Revenue. He successively served as the Vice Education Commissioner in four provinces — Shanxi, Fujian, Guangxi, and Henan — as well as the Provincial Administration Commissioner of Sichuan. He authored Ten Volumes of Yishan Poetry.

The Nanmu Hall faces south and is situated to the north, bordering Ximiao Lane to the north and Baiguo Lane to the south. It consists of three sections. The first section was burned down during the Anti-Japanese War. The second section is Zhue’er Hall, which is three bays wide and seven rafters deep. To its east lies the “Taipu Tower,” and the hall displays a plaque inscribed with “Mianke Pavilion” by Dong Qichang, a renowned calligrapher of the Ming Dynasty (the original plaque is now housed in the Yixing Cultural Relics Management Committee). The third section is four bays wide and seven rafters deep, featuring a flush gable roof. Its pillars, beams, brackets, and rafters are all constructed from nanmu wood.

In 1994, due to municipal construction needs, the Nanmu Hall was relocated for preservation. After the move, the third section of the building was preserved. The relocated Nanmu Hall has a width of 4.50 meters, with a passageway (chuanlong) on the east side that is 11.30 meters deep and seven rafters wide, featuring a front and rear one-bay corridor (xuanlang). The building is enclosed by walls both in the front and back, forming front and rear courtyards. A brick-carved gate is located in the center of the southern courtyard wall. Aside from some beam structures that have been retained as they were originally, the external architectural style and materials of the relocated Nanmu Hall differ significantly from the original structure.

Yicheng Subdistrict: The Yicheng Subdistrict Office is the seat of the Yixing Municipal Government, serving as the political, economic, and cultural center of the city, as well as the window for Yixing’s opening up to the outside world. Covering an area of 40 square kilometers with a population of 240,000, it governs 30 community neighborhood committees and 6 administrative villages. Divided by the Wushen Canal, the area within the canal adjacent to the urban part falls under the jurisdiction of Yicheng Town, while the area outside the canal is governed by the Yixing Economic Development Zone. Within this zone, the community neighborhoods, villages (groups), and enterprises originally belonging to Yicheng Town are managed by the Yixing Economic Development Zone. Non-established villages (groups) may establish new village committees or merge with neighboring ones… Detailed information about Yicheng Subdistrict++