Liu's Tijiao

Liu's Tiji

Liu's Tijiao is a west-facing complex of Sino-Western architecture, commonly known as the "Red House." Its owner was Liu An??, courtesy name Tiqing, the third son of Liu Yong. The main hall is named Chongde Hall, hence the complex is also called Liu's Tijiao.

Liu's Tiji

Liu's Tiji

The overall structure of Chongde Hall consists of three parts: southern, central, and northern.

Liu's Tiji

The central buildings are primarily composed of traditional halls, chambers, and towers based on Confucian cultural concepts. The most distinctive feature is the integration of traditional Chinese architecture in the southern and northern sections with Western European Romanesque styles. The northern section’s European-style façade is particularly spectacular, with the grand mansion exuding magnificence. It boasts exquisite brick carvings, wood carvings, and stone carvings.

The main hall is a traditional Chinese chamber, with a plaque inscribed “Chongde Hall” hanging at its center. On both sides are couplets on pillars and painted screens. The central pillar is so thick that it takes two people to encircle it. The main beam is adorned with gold-plated “Ping Sheng” motifs, while the beams, brackets, corridors, floor-length windows, and floor-level windows are all engraved with intricate auspicious patterns, reflecting the traditional elegance and refined taste of the Liu family.

The second hall displays a plaque inscribed “Baoque Box” (Baoque Box symbolizes upholding sincerity, honesty, and integrity, according to law and righteousness). Behind the residence, there used to be a grassy area that served as a tennis court, with a corner used to keep dairy cows. A large bell tower once stood by the ponds to the east and west, housing a massive chiming clock whose sound could be heard from far and wide. It has now been transformed into a nearly 300-square-meter garden planted with trees and flowers, featuring rockeries, white pine trees, and a crescent-shaped pond used for lotus cultivation. The pond is surrounded by pavilions, corridors, and other landscape elements, complemented by moon-shaped benches for visitors to rest.

The house owner, Liu Tiqing, was the third son of Liu Yong, the wealthiest of the “Four Magnates” of Nanxun and an acting provincial official of Zhili Prefecture, honored with the third-rank official title. Next to the residence lies Garden Lane. The name Garden Lane originates from the late Yuan Dynasty when the Hua family of Nanxun built a garden along this lane, hence its name. During the Qing Dynasty, one of the individuals involved in the “Zhuang Family Historical Case” also resided here. After the case, the house was destroyed, and the Liu family built the “Tiji” on its former site.