Jia Di Shi Jia (First-Rank Mansion Family)

Jia Di Shi Jia

Jia Di Shi Jia is a cultural relic protection unit of Jiangbei District.

Jia Di Shi Jia was first built during the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty as the residence of Qian Zhao, a successful candidate in the imperial examinations of that year. The overall layout is rectangular, adjacent to the Fu Zi Men Tou (Blessing Character Gate) on the east. Qian Zhao passed the imperial examination in the seventh year of the Jiajing era and eventually served as a Qian Shi (an official rank). Later, several descendants also achieved success in the imperial exams, hence the name "Jia Di Shi Jia" (First-Rank Mansion Family). The original gatehouse once bore a plaque inscribed with “Jia Di Shi Jia” by Wen Zhengming, which has since been destroyed.

The residence faces south with its back to the north. The main structures along the central axis consist of two courtyards, front and rear. The front courtyard includes the main hall and side rooms on the east and west. The main hall is a three-bay structure with a post-and-lintel roof frame. The central bay features a unique roof truss design, while the side bays use double-step beams supported by two bracket arms (dou gong), which hold up the front and rear upper purlins. All column tops and the central rear column feature bracket sets (decorative and load-bearing), and the side rooms share the same structure as the side bays. All front eave columns, their base stones, and the large cap blocks atop the columns are square-shaped, reflecting local architectural characteristics.

The rear courtyard is a five-bay single-story building with a structure similar to the side bays of the front courtyard but using smaller materials. In addition to the central axis structures, there are lanes on the east and west sides, each flanked by two-story wing rooms on the east and west. Each wing room has a hip-and-gable roofed annex on the north and south sides. The residence, from its layout to its architectural features, embodies the distinctive style of Ming Dynasty residential buildings and is one of the more intact complexes preserved in the city. It serves as a typical example for the study of late Ming Dynasty residential architecture.

Cicheng Confucius Temple

Cicheng Ancient Architectural Complex

Fu Zi Men Tou (Blessing Character Gate)

Bu Zheng Fang (Regional Administration Office Residence)

Feng Yue Colored-Glaze Gatehouse

Feng Residence