Yan Nan Jilu

Yan Nan Jilu

Built in the 1920s, this traditional Chinese-style residence is located on Zhaogongdi along West Lake. It was the former home of the renowned Peking Opera artist Gai Jiaotian (original name Zhang Yingjie), where he lived for most of his life. As his ancestral home was in Hebei, which earned him the nickname "Yan Bei" (Northern Yan), he named this house “Yan Nan Jilu,” meaning a dwelling in the south for someone from the north. These four characters were inscribed by Ma Yifu. It is now a major cultural site along the western section of West Lake.

Marshal Chen Yi once wrote him a couplet: "A true hero from the North, the living Wu Song of the South." In 2003, Gai Jiaotian’s former residence (Yan Nan Jilu) was restored to its original appearance and now displays his personal belongings and historical materials. The exterior of the residence features white walls and black tiles, exemplifying the classic architectural style of Jiangnan homes. Inside, it consists of an entrance hall, main hall (Bairen Hall), rear hall (Artists’ Home), side rooms (Gai Jiaotian Memorial Hall), a Buddhist shrine, and other structures, forming a unique and well-preserved private residential garden.

Apart from practicing and performing opera within the compound, Gai Jiaotian often received visits from fellow eminent artists such as Mei Lanfang and Zhou Xinfang. Revolutionary leaders of the older generation, including Chen Yi, also came to pay their respects. The residence not only witnessed Gai Jiaotian’s life journey but also reflects segments of modern Chinese theatre history and the respect and care that veteran revolutionaries showed toward artists.