Yutang Villa

Yutang Villa

Yutang Villa is a cultural heritage site protected at the provincial level in Zhejiang Province.

Located in Hongfuxx Village, Fushan Township, Yutang Villa is the former residence of Chen Qi. It was jointly built by Chen Qi and his elder brother Chen Ying in the sixth year of the Republic of China (1917), featuring an architectural style that blends Chinese and Western elements. The building covers a floor area of 1,700 square meters. Chen Qi was a pioneer in promoting China's goods and trade to the world, honored as the "first Chinese figure at the World Expo," and gained prominence for serving as the head of the Chinese delegation to the Panama–Pacific International Exposition.

In 2002, during the second provincial cultural relics survey in Zhejiang, the Qingtian County cultural authorities discovered Chen Qi’s former residence and promptly designated it as a county-level cultural heritage site. In 2007, Chen Yu Guang, Chen Qi’s nephew and president of the Spanish Federation of Chinese Associations, funded the renovation of the residence with an investment of over 1.8 million yuan. The Qingtian County cultural authorities collected relevant documentation from the Panama–Pacific International Exposition, statistics on awards won by various provinces, and materials from the 2010 Shanghai World Expo, which were displayed across more than 40 exhibition panels. At the same time, Chen Qi’s former residence, “Yutang Villa,” was transformed into the Chen Qi Memorial Hall, establishing it as a comprehensive base for research and heritage preservation related to China’s modern exposition history—allowing more people to learn about the World Expo and Qingtian through the memorial.

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of Provincial Cultural Heritage Sites Protected in Zhejiang Province