Former Residence of the Jiang Family in Nanjing

Former Residence of the Jiang Family in Nanjing

The Former Residence of the Jiang Family in Nanjing is a cultural tourism attraction.

The owner of the Former Residence of the Jiang Family in Nanjing was a renowned wealthy merchant in late Qing Dynasty Nanjing. The former residence of Jiang Lüzǐ is located at No. 20, San Tiao Ying, in the southern part of today’s Qinhuai District. It is said that he was originally from Qingjiangpu, Huaiyin, born in the eighth year of the Daoguang reign during the Qing Dynasty (1829), and came from a poor family. As a child, he herded donkeys for others, but later became wealthy by transporting goods with donkeys. Therefore, people in Nanjing also called him “Jiang Lüzǐ” (Donkey Jiang), and due to his immense wealth, referred to him as “Jiang Baiwan” (Millionaire Jiang). After the Taiping Army captured Nanjing, Jiang Lüzǐ joined the army to care for horses and earned the recognition of the Loyal King Li Xiucheng, eventually rising to the position of Supervisor of Donkeys and Horses. It is said that he later acquired hidden treasures of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, which made him the wealthiest man in southern Jiangsu, earning him the nickname “Jiang Ban Cheng” (Jiang Half-the-City). Despite being a millionaire, Jiang Baiwan was kind-hearted, often donating money to build bridges and roads, providing relief to disaster victims, and even risking danger to support the families of deceased Taiping soldiers. Jiang Baiwan owned multiple properties in Nanjing, among which this former residence is the most distinctive. It originally had ninety-nine and a half rooms, two courtyards, including a sedan hall, main hall, multi-story buildings, and an outer garden, all enclosed by firewalls. Currently, there is a stone stele built inside the outer wall, erected in April of the first year of the Guangxu reign (1875). The residence has six courtyards in a row, each with three bays, and every fifth bay features a main hall with rooms above, featuring wooden carvings on doors and windows, some of which still remain. It is now a provincial-level cultural relics protection unit.

The owner of the Jiang Family’s former residence, Jiang Shoushan, known as Jiang Baiwan, was a renowned wealthy merchant in late Qing Dynasty Nanjing. It is said that he was originally from Qingjiangpu, Huaiyin, born in the eighth year of the Daoguang reign during the Qing Dynasty (1829), and came from a poor family. As a child, he herded donkeys for others, but later became wealthy by transporting goods with donkeys. Therefore, people in Nanjing also called him “Jiang Lüzǐ” (Donkey Jiang), and due to his immense wealth, referred to him as “Jiang Baiwan” (Millionaire Jiang).

Although Jiang Baiwan was a millionaire, he was kind-hearted, often donating money to build bridges and roads, providing relief to disaster victims, and even risking danger to support the families of deceased Taiping soldiers. Jiang Baiwan owned multiple properties in Nanjing, among which the most... More details about Jiang Shoushan ++