Comfortable Old Residence

Comfortable Old Residence

Comfortable Old Residence is a Suzhou Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

A place where comfort was nurtured in childhood, Comfortable Old Residence has been designated by the municipal government as part of the sixth batch of Suzhou Cultural Relics Protection Units. It is located at No. 5 Shengjiabang.

The site includes one ancient well and one brick-carved gate tower. During the Republican era, it was owned by the father of the actor Shu Shi, who was then the head of the Jiangsu Provincial Department of Finance; Shu Shi spent his childhood here. Wu Zengshan, a famous lawyer in Suzhou and president of the Wuxian Lawyers Association, also lived here. The residence faces south toward Miaotang Lane and backs onto Shengjiabang to the north. It currently consists of four courtyards: the entrance gate, the sedan-chair hall, the main hall, and the residential building. The first three sections all have simple beam structures, while the main hall features a gray-brick gate tower with rendered surfaces; however, the plaque above the gate has been lost. The fourth section is a two-story Republican-era building with a sesame-white exterior, spanning three bays in width. The ground floor is set back to form a covered corridor, which is paved with imported floor tiles. Despite nearly a century having passed, the color and luster of these tiles remain remarkably well-preserved—an impressive sight.

There are courtyards both in front of and behind the building, especially the one on the north side, which includes several peaks of Lake Tai rockery, a corner pavilion with green-glazed tiles, as well as trees such as loquats and osmanthus. Its refined design exudes a touch of the elegance characteristic of traditional Suzhou gardens. As a fairly typical example of Republican-era courtyard architecture, the entire Comfortable Old Residence boasts an intact layout, stable structure, and particularly well-preserved Republican-era small building—making it of high cultural heritage value.

In 2009, Comfortable Old Residence was designated by the municipal government as part of the sixth batch of Suzhou Cultural Relics Protection Units.