Lishantang

Lishantang

Lishantang (No. 178 Shangyuan Street)

It is situated at the eastern end of Yanjialangxia, facing south toward the river. The property includes four courtyards and 51 rooms, covering a total area of 1,135 square meters. The first and second courtyards were constructed in the 20th year of the Republic of China (1931), and the third and fourth courtyards were built in the early years of the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty (1875–1878); these were the residences of the Ren family. The hall is divided into eastern and western parts by a service lane, each with three stone gateways facing outward. The eastern section has four courtyards: the first two are two-bay buildings, and the last two are single-story houses. The western section also has four courtyards, all three-bay buildings. The southernmost section of Lishantang along the street is a five-bay building. At the two corners of the building, there are boundary stones embedded in the walls, inscribed with the characters “Ren Lishan Boundary.” The second bay from the east contains a service alley. The first two courtyards east of the alley are two-bay buildings, and the last two are single-story houses; the first two courtyards west of the alley are three-bay buildings. The first courtyard of the western section and the last two courtyards of the eastern section contain shared entrance halls, as well as storage rooms and miscellaneous spaces for each household. Lishantang has three stone gateways facing south, known as the East Stone Gateway, the West Stone Gateway, and the Lane Entrance Stone Gateway. Behind the first courtyard on the east side and behind the first three courtyards on the west side are gate towers, though unfortunately, the historical features on them no longer remain. The best-preserved one is the gate tower behind the first courtyard on the west side, where remnants of brick carvings such as hanging baskets and floral designs—featuring pomegranates (symbolizing fertility) and peaches (symbolizing longevity)—can still be seen. There is no text on the gate towers. The gate tower behind the first courtyard on the east side originally bore the inscription “Virtue Bears Blessings,” written by Lü Bao’yue, a renowned traditional Chinese medicine practitioner from Tongli. Inside the second courtyard building, the front eaves on both sides feature four well-preserved scroll-patterned brick carvings, inlaid along the walls from east to west, inscribed with the characters “Diligence,” “Frugality,” “Leave Surplus,” and “Contentment.” These were written by Ye Songlin (also known as Ye Qinghua), father of Ye Xiangling, the deputy editor of the Comprehensive Dictionary of Modern Chinese Dialects. During the restoration of Jiayin Hall, the carvings “Diligence” and “Frugality” were replicated and installed inside its Yannqing Tower.

In 2008, it was listed as a newly discovered cultural relic during the third national cultural relics survey and placed under protection.