Nanjing Guilin Stone House

Nanjing Guilin Stone House

Nanjing Guilin Stone House

Nanjing Guilin Stone HouseThe Nanjing Guilin Stone House was built between April 1932 and June 1933, donated by the Guangzhou Municipal Government. It was destroyed during the War of Resistance Against Japan, and only ruins remain today. The Guilin Stone House is located on a high terrace east of the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum and west of the Linggu Temple. Its walls were built using stone slabs and strips from Qinglong Mountain, and the surrounding area was densely planted with osmanthus trees, which is how it got the name “Guilin Stone House.” The owner of the stone house was Lin Sen, then Chairman of the Nationalist Government. The forested mountain scenery in autumn here was beautiful, and he loved it.

Ascending 170 red stone steps, halfway up you’ll find four large characters carved on a bluestone slab beside the path: “Guilin Stone House.” These were inscribed by Zhang Jingjiang, a veteran statesman of the Republic of China. At the top of the steps is the portico (entrance hall) of the Guilin Stone House. Four broken stone railings seem to have been resting spots in the past. A few more steps lead to the villa’s terrace, paved with cobblestones. Climbing two small steps further, you would have reached the stone house’s entrance porch, but now only broken walls remain. Among these ruins, some oddly shaped fragments and what seems to be another long-lost mysterious material can be spotted. The stone house is surrounded by a ring of stone railings. Their column capitals are exquisitely carved with coiled dragons and cloud patterns, and at the four corners of the house are several damaged stone chi dragons. Strangely, these carvings resemble the style of imperial architecture from the Ming Dynasty.

The bluestone carvings on the stone house are very weathered and show significant differences from the stones used in the walls of the Guilin Stone House, which were quarried during the Republican era. Judging by color and degree of erosion, they appear to be much older. Based on my years of research and attention to ancient architecture, I can confirm that they are definitely not contemporary with the Guilin Stone House.

Embedded in the walls of the stone house are two large tablet tops, almost identical to each other. One has the character “Imperial...” (御...) on the back (the other is buried in soil). It can be determined that these two stone tablets are at least from the Qing Dynasty imperial period.

The Guilin Stone House is built on a hillside, with the Linggu Pagoda to the east and the Scripture Depository to the west. In the hot transition between summer and autumn, the area is lush with vegetation, and the fragrance of osmanthus wafts through the breeze. Only when you arrive here do you realize this villa must have been an excellent summer retreat.

Address: Inside Linggu Temple Scenic Area, No. 2 Linggu Temple, Xuanwu District, Nanjing

Type: Historical Site

Recommended Visiting Time: About 1 hour

Phone: 025-84446443

Opening Hours:

6:30-18:00

Ticket Information:

No separate ticket required. Included in the 35 RMB admission fee for Linggu Temple Scenic Area.