The Zheng Family Residence in Quzhou

The Zheng Family Residence in Quzhou

The Zheng Family Residence is a cultural heritage site protected at the municipal level in Quzhou.

The Zheng Family Residence is located in Xiacun Village, Shiliang Town, Kecheng District, Quzhou City, Zhejiang Province. It features an ancient house built during the mid-Qing Dynasty. The original structure was quite large, but the rear section was destroyed by fire during the Xianfeng era of the Qing Dynasty, with only parts remaining to this day. In 2009, this ancient residence was designated as a municipal-level cultural heritage site.

It is understood that the ancient house faces west and is a three-bay, three-courtyard, two-atrium, two-story brick-and-wood structure with a width of 10.9 meters, a depth of 25.3 meters, and a total area of 276 square meters. It follows a front-building and rear-hall layout and features a flush gable roof.

Upon entering the Zheng Family’s old residence, you’ll find that the building is arranged along a central axis from east to west, consisting successively of the front building, an atrium, the middle hall, another atrium, and the rear hall. The front section is a two-story courtyard structure, while the rear hall is a single-story, two-courtyard hall structure. The entire building exhibits fine craftsmanship, with robust materials and extremely delicate carvings. The brick carvings on the facade feature vivid figures and rich patterns.

According to Yu Renhong, head of the Cultural Relics Section of Kecheng District, the discovery of this building provides valuable physical material for the study of residential architecture in western Zhejiang. In particular, the vivid figures and rich patterns of the brick carvings on the facade give it significant cultural heritage value.

Xiacun Village: Xiacun Village is under the jurisdiction of Shiliang Town, Kecheng District. It is located in the northwest of Quzhou City, 15 kilometers from the city center and 3 kilometers from Shiliang Town. To the north lies Paixitou Village, and to the south is Huangcha Village. Originally the seat of the Xiacun Township government, it was merged into Shiliang Town in 1992. It is a millennium-old ancient village, where ancient ditches and canals crisscross, numerous historic residences remain, and there is one municipal-level cultural heritage site — the ancient brick-carved gate of the Zheng Family Residence. The village enjoys a beautiful environment and simple folkways, with a total population of 1,520 and 498 households. It consists of five natural villages: Xiacun, Yusanling, Qianshanping, Randian, and Zitan Di. Xiacun, formerly known as... More details about Xiacun Village++