Residential House at No. 24 Taihu Road, Cicheng

Residential House at No. 24 Taihu Road, Cicheng

The residential house at No. 24 Taihu Road, Cicheng, is a cultural heritage site protected by Jiangbei District.

This structure is a relatively large surviving architectural complex from the mid-to-late Qing Dynasty. The main buildings consist of a front building, a rear building, and a brick-carved second gate, along with dozens of auxiliary rooms and a fully preserved grand east-facing double gate. The total area covers approximately 4,000 square meters. The buildings face south and are arranged along a north-south axis. Both the front and rear buildings have five rooms and two corridors each, with a width of 26.5 meters and a depth of 12.2 meters. They feature flush gable walls with horse-head ornaments, a mixed structure of through-tenon and raised-beam construction, and a front corridor with moon beams. Between the front and rear buildings stands a tall brick-carved gate, with the gate tower measuring 4 meters in width and 6.4 meters in height. The front facade uses polished brickwork and features a seal script brick carving plaque inscribed with “Yingxun Shouhu” (welcoming the gentle breeze and receiving blessings), along with an inscription by Feng Quanxiu from the 11th month of the Xinhai year (Feng Quanxiu was a Jinshi degree holder in the 60th year of the Qianlong era, the Year of the Rabbit). The gate tower is adorned with flying eaves and bracket sets, while the rear side features exquisite brick carvings including grass dragons, floral patterns, bats, cloud motifs, antique-style draperies, and more. According to research, the residence was originally built during the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty and underwent renovation in the final years of the Xuantong era. The main gate and front hall have been destroyed, but most of the structure remains intact.