Former Residence of Yanzi

Former Residence of Yanzi

The former residence of Yanzi is a cultural relic protection unit of Changshu City.

Former Residence of Yanzi

Located at No. 13 to 17, Dongyanzi Lane, in the urban area, it is a Qing Dynasty building that faces south with north orientation. The site consists of two groups of single-story houses to the east and west. The eastern group, which belongs to No. 17, has four courtyards. The first and second courtyards each have three bays; the third courtyard hall is five bays wide (17.5 meters) and nine roof frames deep (8.8 meters). To the east of the yard behind the third hall is Yanzi’s Ink Well. The fourth courtyard is located outside the surrounding wall of the yard; the western group, belonging to No. 15, only retains the rear hall of the third courtyard. Inside a service alley near the eastern group, there is an imperial sacrificial stele erected in the 47th year of the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty (1782) by Ke Xing’a, Vice Minister of War. On the wall surrounding the courtyard behind the hall, three stone tablets engraved during the Qianlong and Guangxu reigns are embedded, depicting respectively the “Four Views of Songshan Studio,” the “Tomb of Yanzi,” and the “Portrait of Yanzi.” It was designated as a cultural relic protection unit of Changshu City in November 1982. Originally named “Former Residence of Yanzi and Ink Well,” according to Volume 12 of the Revised Chronicles of Changzhao, in the Qianlong period, the 75th-generation descendant Yan Ruisi wrote “Record of the Renovation of the Former Residence of Yanzi.” In May 2017, it was renamed “Former Residence of Yanzi.”

Yan Yan (506–443 BC), surname Yan, given name Yan, courtesy name Ziyu, also known as “Yanyou” or “Shushi,” was a native of the Wu state (in what is now Changshu) during the late Spring and Autumn period. He was as renowned as Zixia and Zizhang, and was one of Confucius’s famous disciples, counted among the “Ten Wise Disciples of Confucius.” He once served as magistrate (prefect) of Wucheng. Yan Yan’s Confucian thoughts have been highly regarded throughout the ages. Zhang Qiyang, a Hanlin academician of the Yuan Dynasty, commented: “In the twilight years of the Zhou dynasty, when feudal states vied for supremacy and personal gain was prized, it was remarkable that a man from Wu alone embraced the teachings of the Duke of Zhou, traveled north to study in the Central Plains, and became a distinguished disciple of Confucius.” Yan Yan, originally named You Gaoxuan, was a craft artist who pursued further studies in Shanghai in 2007... More details about Yan Yan ++