Zhijiang Zhoujia Chenlou

Zhijiang Zhoujia Chenlou

Zhijiang Zhoujia Chenlou is a cultural heritage site protected at the municipal level in Suzhou.

Zhijiang Zhoujia Chenlou

Located at No. 71 Beijie, Zhijiang Town, it was originally the ancestral home of the Chen family in Zhijiang. During the Guangxu era, the owner of Chenlou had no descendants, so his nephew Zhou Zhonggen from the Zhou family inherited the property. Later, none of the property owners of Zhoujia Chenlou lived there. The main structure of the original building was abandoned, and in 2007, the Zhijiang Town government purchased and restored Zhoujia Chenlou. The building is now used as the Zhijiang Town Cultural Station. The house has three courtyards and three sections, all consisting of two-story buildings. The first section is 14.1 meters wide and 5 meters deep, spanning five bays. In the first courtyard, there is a pair of square stone pedestals, behind which stands a brick-carved gate tower rebuilt in 2007. The front side has no decoration, but the back features patterns such as flowers, bats, auspicious clouds, and scenes of warriors in battle. The central part of the gate tower is inscribed with four regular script characters “温厚和平” (Gentle and Peaceful), flanked by the inscriptions “光绪” (Guangxu) and “十四年” (Fourteenth Year). The second section is a single hall, 3.8 meters wide and 6.7 meters deep. Its beam structure is largely intact, and the front part of the hall features a covered porch with carvings of plants and animals. Four round pillars with circular bases stand in the hall. The third section is 13.4 meters wide and 6.6 meters deep, spanning seven bays. The walls, floors, and doors/windows of the entire building are newly constructed. It was designated as a cultural heritage site protected at the municipal level in Changshu in June 2009.

Zhijiang Town: A town under the jurisdiction of Changshu City. It was called Zhijiang Town in 1949, changed to a township in 1957, a commune in 1958, reverted to a township in 1983, and became a town again in 1986. Located in the southeastern part of the city, it is 24 kilometers from the urban area. Covering an area of 47 square kilometers with a population of 31,000, it is traversed by National Highway 204, and the Bai'mao and Yantie rivers meet north of the town. The town administers 20 village committees: Yangqiao, Mengjing, Mafang, Xinmiao, Heshe, Sanlian, Yaozhen, Shuangqiao, Fengtang, Huangjing, Meiyuan, Bachi, Ducanqiao, Changqiao, Pailou, Ximen, Qipan, Qiandao, Zhidong, and Yuye, as well as the Dongjie, Nanjie, Beijie... More detailed information about Zhijiang Town++