House of Fang on Niujia Lane (Pingjiang Inn)

House of Fang on Niujia Lane (Pingjiang Inn)

The House of Fang on Niujia Lane (Pingjiang Inn) is a Suzhou Municipal Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The House of Fang is a controlled and protected historic building in Suzhou, designated as No. 130. Built during the Jiaqing era of the Qing Dynasty, the original owner was surnamed Zhu, later sold to another surnamed Fang who ran a rice business. The building covers an area of 2,402 square meters. The central section has four courtyards, with the second being the main hall. It is three bays wide (11.9 meters) and seven rafters deep (8.4 meters), featuring flat-style beams. The main beams, rafter boards, and mountain fog cloud carvings are exquisitely detailed. The third and fourth courtyards are two-story halls. The east section has four courtyards, the second being the boat hall, with the last two being two-story buildings. The west section retains only one floor, and there is a small garden behind the house. After 1959, half of the pavilion was demolished, and the rockery was moved to the Couple’s Retreat Garden. In 1983, it was listed as a Suzhou Controlled Historic Building. The surviving structures include the Osmanthus Hall (boat house) and scattered lake rocks.

After the liberation, nearly 30 families lived in the House of Fang. Following the renovation of the surrounding streets, the House of Fang and the adjacent Dong Family Charitable Estate across the street were transformed by Hong Kong’s Silk Road Group with an investment of over 60 million yuan into a quasi four-star hotel open to the public. The renovated hotel was named “Pingjiang Inn – Yuanqiao Annex.” Nestled within an excellent historic district of bridges and flowing water, it retains a relatively complete traditional Jiangnan charm, profound cultural heritage, and a strong sense of the refined and delicate character of southern China. For these reasons, it was included in the “Top Ten Inns in China Not to Be Missed.”

The entrance hall is a traditional and simple three-bay structure facing south. The current gate has been completely replaced with floor-to-ceiling windows, no longer the original wooden doors. The two side rooms are enclosed, and the door frame edges show no carved decorations. The interior beam structure remains relatively intact, and at the exit, there is a stone frame that once supported the gatehouse. At the back of the entrance hall is a brick-carved gate tower, which remains largely intact in form. The roof features a “chicken-nest” ridge, and below the crossbeams are five sets of one-dou-three-promotion bracket sets. The lotus heads on either side are simple and unadorned, each bearing a pomegranate sprig. There is no upper beam, the inscription plaque is destroyed, and only the remnants of the Cultural Revolution phrase “Eternal Revolution” remain. The decorative carvings on the central panel are relatively shallow—the west side seems to depict lotuses, the east side is unclear—and the lower panel carvings are clear.

The main hall is three bays wide with two side rooms. The central bay has three sets of six-paneled palace-style lattice windows, with the skirt boards adorned with ruyi head motifs. The side bays and two flanking rooms feature half lattice windows in a similar style. The courtyard has been significantly altered—the owner has used plants, stone tables, and a well to create a small landscape. The flat beams and columns are painted black, and the mountain fog clouds and ??wood are well preserved. Behind the main hall, there is also a brick-carved gate tower, similar in design to the previous one but superior in both appearance and craftsmanship. The inscription reads “?????痢” (characters unclear), believed to date from the ?? period. It is a later addition following the major reconstruction of the hall. It is a more casual structure, featuring a complete and elegant study room. Its proportions and ?? are understated, the lower panel carvings are distinct.

The central and east sections are separated by a service alley, which has been modernized and turned into a “time corridor.” The east section includes three courtyards. The first two are single-story buildings with similar structures, distinguishable only by their flower-patterned windows (the first courtyard features crabapple patterns). The courtyard has been designed as a small garden. The third courtyard is a small Western-style building made of blue bricks, a typical structure from the Republican era. The yard is densely planted with bamboo, serving as a visual screen from the front courtyards. Only a small building remains in the west section, its exterior well-preserved, though the small garden is not visible.

Historic District Community: Located in the northeastern part of the ancient city in Pingjiang District, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, the Historic District Community stretches from Xiangmen River in the east to Pingjiang River in the west, and from Zhongzhangjia Lane in the south to Guanyuanjia in the north, covering a total area of 0.4 square kilometers. The community is home to over 3,400 households and a population of more than 9,000. The area is rich in cultural relics and steeped in historical atmosphere. It houses the World Cultural Heritage site Couple’s Retreat Garden, cultural relics protection units such as the Opera Museum, Pingtan Museum, the Pan Family Residence, and the former home of the celebrity Tang Na. There are also numerous remnants of the old city, including canals, small bridges, alleys, ancient residences, historic archways, ancient trees, and wells, all showcasing the charm of “small bridges, flowing water, and... More details about the Historic District Community++

Further Reading:

· The Seventh Batch of Suzhou Municipal Cultural Relics Protection Units