Former Residence of Shen Deqian

The former residence of Shen Deqian

The former residence of Shen Deqian is a cultural relic protection unit of Suzhou.

The former residence of Shen Deqian is located at No. 26, Kuojiaotou Lane, Dàichéngqiáo Road. It faces south and sits to the north, adjacent to the classical garden Wangshi Garden to the east. It was built before the 11th year of the Qianlong reign (1746), originally consisting of seven courtyards. Over the past 200 years, it has changed ownership several times, and the sedan hall, rear building halls, and garden have been abandoned one after another. By the 1980s, only the screen wall, entrance hall, main hall, and the east service alley running through the front and back sections remained, covering an area of about 480 square meters.

Among them, the main hall, known as Jiàozhōng Táng (Hall of Loyalty in Teaching), is three bays wide (10.8 meters) and 11.6 meters deep, with flat-style beams and a crane-necked roof in the front. Its pillars are made of nanmu wood, reflecting the architectural style of the early Qing Dynasty and holding high historical and artistic value. From 1995 to 1996, the city carried out renovation work on the former residence of Shen Deqian. It was announced as a cultural relic protection unit of Suzhou in November 1998.