Former Residence of Qian Sule

Former Residence of Qian Sule

The Former Residence of Qian Sule is a cultural relic protection unit of Yinzhou District.

Former Residence of Qian Sule

The former residence of Qian Sule is located at No. 31, Waiqianlong Street, Jiangdong District, Ningbo City. It faces south with its back to the north, borders Yinxian- to the east, residential areas to the rear, and the People's Government of Jiangdong District to the west. Waiqianlong Street runs east-west directly in front of the residence.

This residence was the childhood and adolescent home of the national hero Qian Sule and is the oldest surviving Ming Dynasty residential building in Ningbo.

The residence was built during the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty. Originally a three-courtyard complex, parts of it have been demolished or renovated over time due to historical changes. Currently, only the first courtyard of the Qian family residence remains, commonly referred to as the main hall. The residence faces south with its back to the north and has a rectangular horizontal layout with three bays. It is a typical late Ming Dynasty residential building. The Qian Sule Former Residence was discovered during a cultural relics survey in 1983, at which time it was in severe disrepair, leaning dangerously to one side. The eastern and western side rooms had been significantly altered, though the eastern side room still retained some components of its original Ming Dynasty loft-style architecture in the front section. The main hall’s components are simple and elegant, preserving the distinctive local architectural style of eastern Zhejiang during the Ming Dynasty, confirming it as the oldest surviving Ming Dynasty building in downtown Ningbo. In 1984, after comprehensive reinforcement and restoration, its original three-bay structure was largely reinstated.

On April 7, 1992, the Ningbo Municipal People's Government designated the Qian Sule Former Residence as a municipal-level cultural relic protection unit in Document No. Yong Zheng Fa (1992) 77. In 1994, due to urban development needs, the residence was relocated in its entirety from No. 13, Waiqianlong Lane to No. 31, Waiqianlong Street. The relocation project was completed in 1996.

In 1996 and 1997, the Jiangdong District Cultural Relics Protection Office, together with the Ningbo cultural relics authorities, conducted research trips to Fuqing and Lianjiang in Fujian, as well as Taicang in Jiangsu, to collect historical materials about Qian Sule in preparation for establishing a Qian Sule Former Residence exhibition room. Starting in 1997, the Jiangdong District Culture Bureau invested 150,000 yuan to renovate the interior of the Qian Sule Former Residence and organized the collected historical data. Work on the “Exhibition of Qian Sule’s Historical Traces” commenced.

On May 8, 1998, the Qian Sule Former Residence Exhibition Room officially opened to the public. In the same May, it was named a district-level patriotic education base by the Jiangdong District Committee. Since then, the Qian Sule Former Residence has become a site for patriotic education. The exhibition is divided into three sections: “Prefect of Taicang, Diligent Governance and Love for the People,” “Resisting the Qing and Saving the People, Unfulfilled Aspirations,” and “Bringing Honor to Ningbo, Leaving a Mark in History,” introducing the life of Qian Sule.

Qian Sule (1606–1648) was an official in the late Ming Dynasty. His courtesy names were Xisheng and Yusun, and his pseudonym was Zhiting. He was of Han ethnicity, hailing from Yinxian, Zhejiang. He passed the imperial examination in the tenth year of the Chongzhen reign and served as Prefect of Taicang and Vice Minister of the Ministry of Punishments. Later, he resigned due to mourning, and when Qing forces captured Hangzhou, he advocated for raising an army, gaining support from tens of thousands. He sent envoys to request Prince Lu to serve as regent, was appointed Right Censor-in-Chief, promoted to Grand Secretary of the Eastern Cabinet, and died aboard ship. He authored the Collected Works of Righteous Qi Hall.

In the tenth year of the Chongzhen reign (1637), he passed the imperial examination and was appointed Prefect of Taicang. He severely punished arrogant servants and cunning officials, ranking first in performance evaluations in southern Jiangnan, and was later promoted to Vice Minister of the Ministry of Punishments.

In the first year of the Hongguang reign (1645, Qing Shun... More details on Qian Sule++