Hu Family Grand Courtyard

Hu Family Grand Courtyard

Era: Qing Dynasty

Address: Qiaoxi Village, Xuexi Township, Taishun County, Wenzhou City, Zhejiang Province

This courtyard is also known locally as Shimen Tower. The Hu Family Grand Courtyard is a rare large-scale, enclosed residential complex in southern China. Not only is it massive in size, but it is also exquisitely crafted, possessing significant comprehensive cultural heritage value. The Hu family originally resided in Guantang, Qingyuan. During the Ming Dynasty’s TianShun era (1457–1464), Hu Daoyan moved to the west bank of Xuexi in present-day Taishun, becoming the founding ancestor of the local Hu family. By the time of Hu Dongwei, the family fortune had flourished, leading to the commencement of large-scale residential construction. Hu Dongwei, courtesy name Zhenren and art name Jiyuan, was born in the Ren Shen year of the Jiaqing reign during the Qing Dynasty (1812) and passed away in the Gui Wei year of the Guangxu reign (1883).

In the 20th year of the Guangxu reign (1894), Hu Dongwei was posthumously honored with the title of Fengzhi Dafu due to his son Hu Yikun receiving imperial grace. From the 12th year of the Daoguang reign (1832) to the Jiayou year of the Tongzhi reign (1874), Hu Dongwei built the Hu Family Grand Courtyard, Fenglong Cuo, and Fenglongtou Cuo, among other residences. This construction spanned over 40 years. The Hu Family Grand Courtyard itself was completed through three phases of building to reach its current scale.

The surrounding landscape of the Hu Family Grand Courtyard is exceptionally picturesque, with rolling mountains, open fields, and meandering streams. The main orientation of the courtyard is west-southwest facing east-northeast. It is surrounded by high stone walls on all sides, and the entire complex has four gates: one main gate and three smaller ones. Water ditches around the houses serve as the primary drainage system. The primary building material of Shimen Tower is fir. The structural and enclosure elements of the architecture are distinctly separated: columns and beams support a roof that shelters from wind and rain. The beam, column, and roofing system is open, allowing air to circulate freely, protecting the wooden framework in the humid and hot environment. The Hu Family Grand Courtyard consists of an upper hall and a lower hall. The upper hall is a three-sided courtyard structure, while the lower hall comprises northern and southern rooms along with a front hall, with a central corridor connecting the upper and lower halls. The main buildings of the Hu Family Grand Courtyard follow a clear central axis, with wing rooms and main structures symmetrically arranged on either side of this axis.

Address: Qiaoxi Village, Xuexi Township, Taishun County, Wenzhou City

Type: Historical Architecture

Recommended Visit Duration: Approximately 1 hour

Ticket Information:

Free admission.