Former Residence of Ye Chucang

Former Residence of Ye Chucang

The former residence of Ye Chucang is a cultural relic protection unit of Jiangsu Province.

The former residence of Ye Chucang is located on Xiwang Street in Zhouzhuang Town. It was built during the Tongzhi era of the late Qing Dynasty by Ye Chucang’s grandfather. Ye Chucang’s great-grandfather, Ye Xingjiang, was an official in the Qing Dynasty. His grandfather, Ye Yuanfu, had no interest in pursuing an official career and instead opened the Ye Taihe Sauce Shop in Zhouzhuang. The family was relatively well-off and constructed this old house. The former residence of Ye Chucang has five courtyards and covers an area of over 1,100 square meters. It is a typical Suzhou-style courtyard building, characterized by grey brick walls, small tiles, gable-and-hip roofs, corridors with hanging latticework, and patterned windows — all in a Ming-style imitation.

In Zhouzhuang, almost all buildings follow the layout of a front hall and rear chamber, as in ancient times “men and women should not touch each other casually,” so guests were received separately, which is why this design feature is common. The former residence of Ye Chucang is no exception. The plaque at the entrance of the first courtyard, inscribed with the five characters “Former Residence of Ye Chucang,” is written in the hand of Jia Yibin, Vice Chairman of the Central Committee of the Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang. The second courtyard is the sedan chair hall, used by the Ye family to receive ordinary guests. On the wall there is a couplet that reads: “Wearing straw shoes and cloth socks, a poor scholar he may seem; yet within lies a force that can match ten thousand men.” This was a funeral couplet written by Yu Youren, then President of the Judicial Yuan of the Kuomintang, when Mr. Ye Chucang passed away. From this couplet, we can see that Mr. Ye Chucang dressed very simply but was extremely knowledgeable — a man of great learning. He once served as the head of the Examination Yuan of the Kuomintang, working alongside Yu Youren and Shao Lizi to follow Dr. Sun Yat-sen, wielding their pens to promote the revolution. They shared a close personal friendship, which is why Yu Youren wrote this couplet in his memory after his passing.

The third courtyard is the main hall of the Ye family, used for hosting important events and esteemed guests. Here you can also see another couplet: “May your name be forever recorded in the annals of literature; unforgettable are the days of youthful camaraderie.” This was a funeral couplet written for him by Mr. Liu Yazi. In his early years, Ye Chucang joined the progressive literary group “Nanshe,” organized by Liu Yazi and Chen Qubing. He often composed poetry and advocated for democratic revolution and new culture together with Liu Yazi, which is why Liu Yazi was deeply saddened by the news of Ye Chucang’s death and quickly penned this couplet in tribute.

The fourth and fifth courtyards are the inner chambers of the Ye family, where they once lived their daily lives. Now they display some of Ye Chucang’s books, manuscripts, calligraphy, photos, and more. The inner chambers showcase two fur coats, which Ye Chucang once pawned when he was raising funds to publish the “Republic Daily” due to financial difficulties. This also shows that Ye Chucang was a person of great integrity.

Address: No. 19, Xiwang Street, Zhouzhuang Town, Kunshan City, Suzhou (within the Zhouzhuang Ancient Town scenic area)

Type: Historic Building / Former Residence of a Celebrity

Recommended Visiting Time: About 30 minutes

Phone: Zhouzhuang Ancient Town Hotline: 4008282900; 0512-57211699

Opening Hours:

8:00-16:30

Ticket Information:

No separate ticket required. Included in the Zhouzhuang Ancient Town ticket.

Ye Chucang (1887–1946), a native of Zhouzhuang. His original name was Zongyuan, also known as Shan Ye, with the courtesy name Zhuoshu. He went by the name Chucang, and had several pen names including Ye Ye, Xiaofeng, and Xiangjun. Influenced by his scholarly family background from a young age, he was diligent and curious. In his youth, he presided over the “Civilization New Year Society” in his hometown, advocating for reform of old customs and promoting new New Year traditions. While studying at the Jiangsu Higher School, he was expelled for participating in anti-Qing activities. Later, he went to Shanghai, where he was introduced by Chen Qubing to meet Dr. Sun Yat-sen. He joined the Chinese Revolutionary Alliance and, together with Liu Yazi and Chen Qubing, was active in Nanshe. After the Xinhai Revolution, he put down his pen and took up arms, serving as... [More details about Ye Chucang++]

Zhouzhuang Town: Zhouzhuang is located in the northeastern part of Kunshan, bordering Taicang City and Changshu City. It was formed by merging the former Zhouzhuang, Xinzhen, and Luyang towns, and is designated by the Kunshan Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government as the center of the city’s northern district. The town covers an area of 81.56 square kilometers, with a local resident population of 43,000 and a migrant population of 60,000. It governs two subdistrict offices (Xinzhen and Luyang), 12 community neighborhood committees, and 15 administrative villages, comprising a total of 112 resident groups and 382 villager groups. It has been awarded titles such as “Nationally Recognized Beautiful Environment Township,” “Jiangsu Provincial Civilized Town,” and “Suzhou Advanced Investment Promotion Town...” [More details about Zhouzhuang Town++]

Further Reading:

· Seventh Batch of Cultural Relic Protection Units of Jiangsu Province