The Li Family Mansion in Huangshayao

The Li Family Mansion in Huangshayao

The Li family mansion in Huangshayao Village is located in Huangshayao Town, Suichang County. It consists of two buildings, eastern and western, both constructed during the late Qing Dynasty. Due to their considerable size, they cover a total area of over 5,000 square meters.

The western mansion was built slightly earlier. Over several decades, generations of the Li family successively constructed five courtyards along with side wings on both sides, combining them into one large residence. The central axis includes a gate terrace and five five-bay courtyards aligned from the first to the fifth, with fourteen rooms on each side wing. The east side of the gate terrace features a six-bay entrance hall. The total width is 34.06 meters, the depth is 67.69 meters, and the area is 2,195.55 square meters. The main rooms are separated by walls between each courtyard but are interconnected through side doors. The hall corridors are connected to the side wings on both sides, forming an integrated layout. The beams feature a mixed structure of raised-beam and through-tenon styles, with carved patterns on the doors and windows. The roof designs include flush-gable and barrel-vaulted styles.

Beautiful Mountains and Rivers (4) – The Li Family Mansion in Huangshayao, Suichang Beautiful Mountains and Rivers (4) – The Li Family Mansion in Huangshayao, Suichang

The eastern mansion was built slightly later than the western one and is separated from it by a road. Its front section features a gate terrace. Along the central axis are three five-bay courtyards, while the eastern side has three three-bay courtyards, and the western side has two parallel five-bay side wings. These elements combine to form the large residence. The total width is 49.23 meters, the depth is 33.4 meters, and the area is 1,644 square meters. The eastern mansion is taller and more imposing, with a mixed raised-beam and through-tenon beam structure, and the doors, windows, and courtyard designs are exquisitely detailed.

In 2001, it was listed as a “County-Level Cultural Relics Protection Unit” by the county government. On January 7, 2011, it was announced as part of the sixth batch of Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units