Yude Hall Flower Hall

Yude Hall Flower Hall

Yude Hall Flower Hall is a cultural relic protection unit of Suzhou.

Yude Hall Flower Hall is located on Renmin Street in Dongshan Town and is commonly known as the Crabapple Rafter Hall. Originally built in the 17th year of the Daoguang reign during the Qing Dynasty (1837), it was constructed by the Zhou family, who were salt officials in the Jianghuai region. It is now owned by Xi Zongrong, a descendant of the Xi Qiyu family, a prominent clan in Dongshan. The main axis of Yude Hall Flower Hall features structures such as a gate tower, flower hall, residence building, and library building. The flower hall is three bays wide and seven rafters deep, with beams, columns, and rafters all made of square timber. It has a thatched framework, and the roof is fitted with crane-necked double-layered rafters to create a type of pavilion ceiling. Viewed from below, it resembles an open crabapple blossom, hence its name. The gables on both sides of the hall are constructed using finely polished bricks laid in an interlocking pattern. The front and rear courtyards are adorned with rockeries and planted with flowers and trees, giving the hall an even more graceful and tranquil atmosphere. Yude Hall Flower Hall is reputed as the “No. 1 Flower Hall in the Jiangnan region.”