Ganxi Mansion

Ganxi Mansion

Ganxi Mansion is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The Ganxi Ancestral House was originally built during the Jiaqing reign of the Qing Dynasty and is commonly known as the "Ninety-Nine-and-a-Half Rooms." Along with the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum and the Ming City Wall, it is hailed as one of Nanjing’s three major historical landmarks from the Ming and Qing dynasties. It holds significant historical, scientific, and tourism value, and is currently the largest and best-preserved private residential complex in Nanjing.

Ganxi Ancestral House

Ganxi Ancestral House

In the Nanjing area, large-scale, multi-courtyard, corridor-style residences are commonly referred to as the "Ninety-Nine-and-a-Half Rooms." The reason for this lies in the fact that nine is the greatest yang number and also an auspicious number. Going beyond nine to ten signifies reaching the limit, and reaching the limit implies decline. Hence, since ancient times, China has had the saying of the “Supreme Sovereign of Nine-Five.” The largest imperial architectural complex is the Forbidden City, claimed to have “Ninety-Nine-Thousand-Nine-Hundred-and-Ninety-Nine-and-a-Half Rooms,” while the largest government building is the Confucius Mansion, reputed to have “Nine-Hundred-and-Ninety-Nine-and-a-Half Rooms.” Residential homes, however, are limited to a maximum of “Ninety-Nine-and-a-Half Rooms.” This half room symbolizes both modesty for not reaching a hundred rooms and pride for being just a half step away from the goal. In reality, the Ganxi Ancestral House has over 300 rooms in total.

Administrative Location: Nos. 15, 17, 19 Nánbǔtīng & No. 42 Dàbǎnxiàng, Báixià District, Nanjing

Geographic Coordinates: 118°46′41″E, 32°01′42″N

Historical and Cultural Background:

The Ganxi Ancestral House consists of three sets of five-courtyard, corridor-style ancient buildings, commonly known as the Ninety-Nine-and-a-Half Rooms. The architecture has distinct characteristics. The residence on Nánbǔtīng faces south while the one on Dàbǎnxiàng faces west. Since the Gan family originally came from Anhui to Nanjing and made their fortune through commerce, they followed the principles outlined in the “Residence Feng Shui Art” and avoided certain taboos. The layout adopts a symmetrical arrangement of left, middle, and right axes, with five sections arranged from north to south: the entrance hall, sedan hall, main hall, rear hall, and back hall, each serving different functions. Architectural decorations mainly feature lattice doors, harmonious windows, and decorative panels adorned with auspicious patterns. Between adjacent courtyards in each set of buildings, there are tall firewalls.

The Ganxi Ancestral House now covers an area of over 9,500 square meters, with a built-up area of more than 5,400 square meters, and holds high historical, artistic, and scientific value. It was designated as a Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Unit in 1996.

The Ganxi Ancestral House was originally built during the Jiaqing reign of the Qing Dynasty (1796–1820) by Gan Fu, the father of Gan Xi, and later expanded by Gan Xi himself. Gan Xi was a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations during the Daoguang reign of the Qing Dynasty. The residence originally included a backyard garden and the largest library in the Jiangnan region—the Jindai Tower—which was later destroyed during the Taiping Rebellion.

The Ganxi Ancestral House now serves as the Nanjing Folk Museum.

Surrounding Environment:

The Ganxi Ancestral House is located at Nos. 15, 17, 19 Nánbǔtīng & No. 42 Dàbǎnxiàng.

Accessible via Special Line 1, Tourist Line 2, Tourist Line 4, Bus Routes 2, 4, 7, 16, 26, 33, 37, 40, 47, 49, 62, 101, and 102.

Location: Nánbǔtīng Historical and Cultural Conservation Area

Core Area of the Ganxi Ancestral House

Pingshi Street Folk Culture Tourism Street

Historical and Cultural Residential Conservation Area

Phone: 85568847

Address: No. 19 Nánbǔtīng, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province

Public Transport: Bus Routes 100, 35, 38, Metro Line 1

Gan Xi (1798–1853), courtesy name Shí’ān, was born in 1798 and was a renowned late Qing Dynasty scholar, epigrapher, and bibliophile in Nanjing. He studied at Zhongshan Academy in his early years under the essayist Yao Nai.

In the 19th year of the Daoguang reign (1839), he became a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations and was appointed as a county magistrate in Guangxi. In the 22nd year of Daoguang, he was promoted to Langzhong (an official rank). Later, he served as the Guangdong Department of the Ministry of Revenue concurrently with the Yunnan Chief Draftsman, and as an honorary prefect. He was well-read and had an exceptional memory. He meticulously researched and compiled various works on Nanjing’s history, folklore, and the evolution of street names, authoring several local chronicles including *Báixià Suǒyán* (Miscellaneous Accounts of Báixià)... More details about Gan Xi ++

Róngzhuāng Xīncūn Community: Located in the southeastern part of Cháotiāngōng Subdistrict, bordered by Zhōngshān Nánlù to the east, Píngshì Jiē to the west, Jiànyè Lù to the north, and Shēngzhōu Lù to the south, the community spans 0.193 square kilometers, with 4,949 registered households and a population of 11,922. It houses the Nanjing Folk Museum, Cháotiāngōng Police Station, Fǔxījiē Primary School, Nanjing Adult Self-Study Examination Office, Nanjing Urban Construction Historical and Cultural Block Development Company, Jīngē Hotel, Jiāngyànlóu Restaurant, and Jīnbǎng Elderly Apartment, among other institutions. ... More details about Róngzhuāng Xīncūn Community ++

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units