Shen Residence on Yinxiang Street

Shen Residence on Yinxiang Street

Shen Residence on Yinxiang Street is a cultural heritage site protected at the municipal level in Suzhou.

Shen Residence on Yinxiang Street

Located on Yinxiang Street in the ancient city district, it was the residence of the Shen family. Facing south and built on a north-south axis, it features a flush gable roof and a brick-and-wood structure, dating back to the late Qing Dynasty and early Republican period. Originally consisting of four courtyards, three courtyards and an auxiliary wing on the west side remain today. The overall structure of the residence is largely intact, covering an area of approximately 700 square meters. The original first courtyard was demolished due to the widening of the Taiyinxiang section; the current first courtyard consists of the original second courtyard’s main building and a single-room auxiliary wing on the west side. It has two stories, with post-and-lintel construction and crescent beams, spanning six bays (18.9 meters) in width and seven rafters (9.2 meters) in depth. The front is equipped with a covered porch featuring a porch alcove, square porch columns, granite column bases, and carved wooden doors and windows. The current second courtyard spans three bays (12.0 meters) in width and seven rafters (7.1 meters) in depth, with carved spandrels. The current third courtyard is the rear hall building, which has two stories, post-and-lintel construction, spans five bays (15.8 meters) in width and seven rafters (9.6 meters) in depth, with a porch at the front and a wooden staircase at the back. It also features carved wooden doors and windows and square brick flooring. It was designated as a municipal-level cultural heritage site in June 2009.