The Su Family Mansion in Sucun Village

The Su Family Mansion in Sucun Village

The Su Family Mansion in Sucun Village is a Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Heritage Site.

Sucun is a small mountain village in Beijie Town, Suichang County, located at the junction of Lishui, Jinhua, and Quzhou cities. The village homes are built along the creek, dividing the settlement into northern and southern sections. A large bridge spans the creek, connecting the two sides. According to the village layout recorded in the *Tao Yuan Su Clan Genealogy*, the high mountains to the south of the village include Qianshan and Gaoling. At the front of Qianshan, there are two small hills: one resembling a phoenix, called Fenghuang Zuutou by the villagers, and the other resembling a crouching tiger, called Fuhu Shan. The renowned Su Family Mansion is situated at the foot of Fenghuang Zuutou. To the west of the mansion lies a vast expanse of paddy fields known as Yangye Fan. The southern part of Yangye Fan is Kengliyuan, where stream water flows from south to north into Tao Yuan Creek. Most of the houses are newly built, predominantly concrete structures, resulting in a somewhat disharmonious architectural style. The Su Family Ancestral Hall is located north of Tao Yuan Creek, facing south, with a main road in front. The Su Family Mansion and the Ancestral Hall face each other across the creek.

Historical records indicate that since Su Yunzhen, the ancestor of the Su clan, migrated from Meishan, Sichuan, to Taoyuan Sucun in the northern part of Suichang, Zhejiang, nearly a thousand years have passed. It is noted that Yong was erudite and quick-witted, diligent and proficient in his work. He conducted himself with integrity and prudence from beginning to end. He taught his sons with righteousness and showed kindness to the poor. Throughout his life, he accumulated virtue and set an example of noble character for generations.

The ninth-generation patriarch, Yunzhen, styled Yuanheng, was the son of Yong. Known as the “Nine Scholars’ Attendant,” he came to take up his father’s duties upon his passing but was unable to move westward as planned. Later, he married into the Lü family at Pingchang Taoyuan’s Lüpo. Lü family members, skilled in geomancy, constructed Henglong and renamed the place Su Po. This marked the unbroken lineage that became the forebearers of the Su clan of Taoyuan in Kuocang. In other words, Su Yunzhen’s father served as the Chuzhou Recorder in Lishui but died while in office. Yunzhen traveled to Lishui for the funeral but could not return to Sichuan, eventually marrying into the Lü family. This account particularly highlights the relationship between Su Yong and Su Xun. Originally, Su Yong was the elder brother, and Su Xun the younger. Most notably, Su Dongpo, the famous literary figure, was the eldest son of Su Xun, while Su Zhe was the second son. Therefore, the origins of Sucun Village carry considerable historical weight. In its heyday, the area also featured numerous historical sites and scenic spots. Just the names such as Yuxiu Pavilion, Wenchang Pavilion, Wancheng Bridge, Fuzai Shrine, Yongqing Temple, as well as Yangye Stone Bridge, Immortal’s Stepping Stone, and Cold Spring Dragon Well, speak volumes.

The Su Family Mansion is located south of Taixi Creek, facing north. Built during the late Qing Dynasty and early Republican period, it measures 62.9 meters in width and 70.27 meters in depth, with a total floor area of 3,133.09 square meters. Existing structures include the front courtyard, entrance gate, main house, west wing room, rear annex, west annex, and east annex.

Sucun Village: Situated in the northern part of Suichang, bordering Longyou and Jinhua, Sucun Village was established by the ancestors of the Su clan (0) after they migrated from Meishan, Sichuan, to Taoyuan Sucun in the northern part of Suichang, Zhejiang. The ancestral ancestral hall (Xiangxiao Tang) was initially built during the Ming Dynasty (around 1465 AD). Due to the growing prosperity and population of the Su family—Su Zhangming, the patriarch, had eight sons and two daughters, once famously referred to as the “Eight Great Families”—a series of 13 connected residential buildings were subsequently constructed (including one cowshed and one oil mill building), totaling around a hundred rooms and covering an area of over 3,500 square meters. Construction was completed by the 19th year of the Republic of China (1930 AD). More details about Sucun Village ++

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Heritage Sites