The Yu Family's Tianshu Hall

The Yu Family's Tianshu Hall

Nestled at the foot of Fulong Mountain in Longshan Town, Cixi City, stands an imposing gray-walled, blue-tiled mansion of grandeur, resembling a celestial palace, nestled among green fields and rural villages. This is the ancestral home — Tianshu Hall — built by Yu Qiaqing for his mother.

Tianshu Hall faces east and is fronted by a sparkling river. Smooth bluestone slabs pave the ponds and roadways in an orderly fashion. A vermilion-painted gate adorned with iron rings is embedded within towering walls. The entire estate spans 13,700 square meters, featuring exquisitely arranged pavilions, winding garden paths through secluded courtyards, and a fusion of the finest elements of Chinese and Western architecture. Its unique construction is truly breathtaking.

The hall stretches 59 meters in width and 94 meters in depth, divided into two relatively independent sections consisting of five connected courtyards. A straight central axis gives the layout clear hierarchy and vivid vitality. The first three courtyards, built in 1916, feature traditional wooden structures comprising a screen wall, main gate, halls, rear building, and wing rooms, showcasing the essence of Chinese culture. Beams, brackets, dougong (bracket sets), and lintels are all intricately carved with traditional motifs such as phoenixes and peonies, the “Three Friends of Winter,” and scenes from Romance of the Three Kingdoms, vividly bringing these images to life. Originally hanging in the center of the main hall was a plaque inscribed with “Tianshu Hall,” flanked by calligraphy pieces gifted by Li Yuanhong and Yu Youren. These, together with a set of rosewood furniture, antiques, and artworks by renowned artists, created an atmosphere of refined luxury.

The last two courtyards are European-style buildings, constructed about ten years later than the first three. Primarily designed in the Italian Baroque style while also incorporating features of traditional Chinese architecture, they use fine rain-flower pebbles and white mosaic tiles to adorn plinths, steps, and door frames — a perfect blend of Chinese and Western cultural elements.

A sky bridge spanning the second and third courtyards is framed by the lush foliage of several massive magnolia trees. The corridor is decorated with red terrazzo tiled in octagonal plum blossom patterns. Sturdy classical Western columns, exquisite cornices, and vase-shaped cement railings outline the mansion’s opulence and serene depth.

Tianshu Hall is a successful example of integrated Chinese and Western architectural styles in modern China. In June 2002, it was approved by the State Council as a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit, becoming a radiant jewel among Cixi’s tourist attractions.