The Former Residence of the Zhou Family in Sanyang

The Former Residence of the Zhou Family in Sanyang

The Former Residence of the Zhou Family in Sanyang is a Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The Former Residence of the Zhou Family in Sanyang (Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Unit)

Period: Modern Era

Designated: March 16, 2005

Built by the wealthy landlord Zhou Hengping, the residence faces south and has an irregular square layout, covering a total area of about 2,000 square meters. The structure is composed of a gate tower, front hall, and main building in that order. Both the gate tower and front hall date back to the late Qing Dynasty—the gate tower is made of brick with a single-bay flush-gable roof, while the front hall features nine bays with a flush gable roof and Guanyin-dou gable walls at both ends. The main building is a two-story brick-concrete structure constructed in the 1930s, covering an area of 1,020 square meters. It has a rectangular floor plan with nine bays in width and two bays in depth, surrounded by corridors on all four sides. The floors are inlaid with decorative quartz terrazzo. The north façade features Corinthian columns, and the south façade is adorned with Ionic columns. The upper parts of the doors and windows have arched tops, and various Chinese and Western floral patterns are rendered in relief on the lintels and other decorative elements. The second floor is fitted with bottle-shaped balustrades, and the ceilings are decorated with finely crafted plaster moldings. The roof is a hip-and-gable style covered with small blue tiles laid in a combination of yin-yang patterns.

The Former Residence of the Zhou Family in Sanyang is exquisitely constructed using high-quality materials. Its architectural style reflects a blend of Chinese and Western influences, making it a product of the historical period when Western trends were introduced to China. The main building is one of the largest surviving modern-era standalone structures in the Wenzhou area and holds significant value for the study of the region’s architectural development.

Source: Zhejiang Cultural Relics Website

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units