Xiaoluyan Xu Family Ancestral House

Xiaoluyan Xu Family Ancestral House

The Xiaoluyan Xu Family Ancestral House is a cultural heritage site protected at the provincial level in Zhejiang Province.

The Xiaoluyan Xu Family Ancestral House is located on the east bank of Xujia Pu River in Xiaoluyan Village, Xiaolin Town, Cixi City, Zhejiang Province. It is a Western-style brick-and-stone courtyard building facing south, consisting of two courtyards, north and south. The main structure of the north courtyard is a three-bay, three-story main building with front and rear courtyards and a wharf on the west side. The west part of the south courtyard is a two-bay, two-story wing building, while the east part features a long, narrow courtyard that includes a pavilion, a well, and a flower terrace. The outer walls of the courtyard form a zigzag layout, covering a total area of 340 square meters. From the riverside wharf west of the main building, one can walk east through a cross-alley to enter the gate of the north courtyard. The lintel above the gate is inscribed with the four large characters “Hou De Zai Fu” (Virtue Bears Blessings), reflecting the Xu family’s tradition of kindness and virtue.

This Western-style residence was built in the 1920s by Mr. Xu Zhixuan, one of the representative figures of the Ningbo business community in modern times and a magnate in Shanghai’s pharmaceutical industry, for his mother. The building integrates both Chinese and Western architectural elements and is considered a masterpiece of Sino-Western fusion architecture. It not only holds significant scientific and artistic value but also carries the legacy of Mr. Xu Zhixuan’s hard work and moral integrity, embodying the Ningbo business community’s—especially the Cixi merchants’—traditional emphasis on filial piety.

In January 2011, it was designated as a provincial-level cultural heritage site by the People’s Government of Zhejiang Province.

Further reading:

· Sixth Batch of Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Heritage Sites