Former Residence of Yanzi and the Ink Well

The Former Residence of Yanzi and the Ink Well

The Former Residence of Yanzi and the Ink Well is a cultural relic protection unit of Suzhou.

The Former Residence of Yanzi and the Ink Well

Located at No. 13–17 Dongyanzi Lane in the city’s eastern area, this site is a Qing Dynasty structure facing south, consisting of two groups of single-story houses — one to the east and one to the west. The eastern group, situated at No. 17, has four courtyards. The first and second courtyards both feature three bays, while the third courtyard hall is five bays (17.5 meters) wide and nine roof frames (8.8 meters) deep. To the east of the courtyard behind the hall lies Yanzi’s Ink Well. The fourth courtyard is located outside the surrounding wall of the courtyard. The western group, located at No. 15, retains only the rear hall of the third courtyard. Within the corridor adjacent to 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 of the courtyard behind the hall are inlaid three stone tablets from the Qianlong and Guangxu periods, depicting respectively the “Four Views of Songshan Retreat,” the “Tomb of Yanzi,” and the “Portrait of Yanzi.” It was designated as a cultural relic protection unit of Changshu City in November 1982.

Yan Yan (506–443 BCE), surname Yan, given name Yan, courtesy name Ziyu, also known as “Yanyou” or “Shushi,” was a native of the Wu region during the late Spring and Autumn period and came from Changshu. Renowned alongside Zixia and Zizhang, he was a distinguished disciple of Confucius and one of the “Ten Wise Disciples of Confucius.” He once served as magistrate (county chief) of Wucheng. Yan Yan’s Confucian philosophy has been highly regarded throughout history. Zhang Qiyuan, 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 esteemed, 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. (Note: The text following appears to be a misattributed or unrelated biographical note about a contemporary artisan named Ziyou, born in 2007, which does not pertain to the historical Yan Yan. Omitted per instruction to exclude non-pertinent or misattributed content.) For detailed information about Yan Yan, see ++.