Former Residence of Zhou Yao

Former Residence of Zhou Yao

The former residence of Zhou Yao is a cultural heritage site protected at the provincial level in Zhejiang Province.

The former residence of Zhou Yao is located on the east side of Meixi River in Shangzhou’ao Natural Village, Shangzhou Village, Tangxi Town, Yinzhou District. According to local elderly villagers, the original structure was built in a traditional quadrangle layout. In 1956, a flood destroyed most of the building. The current residence has been rebuilt on the original site and adjacent open land. The total area covers 551㎡, with a construction area of 729㎡. The main building faces south and features two wing rooms on the east and west sides, with a central courtyard and a double wooden gate facing south, forming a three-sided courtyard structure. The main building has five rooms with two side bays over two stories under a flush gable roof, with a single-step beam front porch, combining raised-beam and through-tenon construction methods. It has a depth of seven columns and ten purlins, with a side door on the western side of the porch. The front is a courtyard paved with cobblestones. The east and west wing rooms cover an area of 119㎡, each with three bays over one story under a flush gable roof, featuring a front eave corridor wrapping around the rear eave, also using a combination of raised-beam and through-tenon structures, with a depth of five columns and seven purlins. The entrance hall covers 13㎡, consisting of a single bay over one story under a double-slope flush gable roof.

Professor Zhou Yao is an internationally renowned entomologist and scholar who dedicated his life to scientific research with outstanding achievements. He was awarded the “Green Universe Award” by the International Congress of Entomology and the title of “Outstanding Asian Agricultural Figure” by the Asian Agricultural Development Foundation in Hong Kong. Currently, Asia’s largest insect museum named after him — the Zhou Yao Insect Museum — has been established by Dongqian Lake.

This building was designated as a district-level cultural heritage protection site in 2005 and upgraded to a district-level cultural heritage protection unit in 2010.

Zhou Yao, an entomological taxonomist, served as a professor, director of the Institute of Entomology, and curator of the Insect Museum at Northwest A&F University from 1939 to 2008. He was also a council member of the Entomological Society of China, honorary president of the Shaanxi Entomological Society, a member of the organizing committee of the 9th International Congress of Entomology, a member of the Central Consultative Committee of the Jiusan Society, and a member of the 6th and 7th Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conferences. He was also an academician of the International Academy of Sciences of San Marino. He founded the Insect Museum, Acta Entomologica Taxonomica, the Institute of Entomology, the Zhou Yao Insect Taxonomy Research Reward Foundation, the Butterfly Branch of the Entomological Society of China… More details about Zhou Yao ++

Shangzhou Village: Located southwest of Tangxi Town and upstream of Meixi Reservoir, Shangzhou Village is surrounded by mountains, boasting picturesque scenery, elegant surroundings, and convenient transportation, making it an ideal location for tourism and leisure development.

The village has a total population of 2,096, including 55 non-native residents. The village covers an area of 2.8 square kilometers, including 7,175 mu of forest, 910 mu of arable land, 550 mu of tea plantations, and 400 mu of Chinese toon bases. The village is home to the former residence of the notable figure Zhou Yao, along with untapped tourism spots, abundant forest and specialty resources, and rich wildlife.

Local privately-owned enterprises are growing steadily and healthily, and have… More details about Shangzhou Village ++

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Heritage Protection Units