The Fang Shizai Residence

The Fang Shizai Residence

The Fang Shizai Residence is a cultural relic protection unit of Anhui Province.

The Fang Shizai Residence was built in the mid-Ming Dynasty and is part of the remaining structure of the Xu State Mansion. It faces west and has a concave-shaped floor plan, with one bay and two stories. It is 13.94 meters wide and 8.65 meters deep. The main gate is located on the left side, flanked by corridor rooms, with a central courtyard. The gable side features a through-tenon style beam framework, with exquisitely carved moon beams. The ends of the double-step beams are adorned with carvings where the composition below is supported by two small cloud motifs holding up a larger cloud above, some of which have pointed tips at both the front and back ends. On the third purlin, a ridge column stands to support the ridge beam, with carved forked brackets on both sides, giving the entire form the appearance of a flowing ribbon. When a flat plate bracket is not used, the lower end of the ridge column is shaped like an eagle’s beak. In 1987, it was restored according to its original design. It is a key cultural relic protection unit of Anhui Province and is now open to the public as an architectural history exhibition hall.

Located on Xiangyang Road in the county town, it was originally part of the remaining structure of the “Grand Secretary Xu State Mansion” from the Ming Dynasty's Wanli era. This three-bay brick-and-timber building is 14 meters wide and 8.65 meters deep. The central area serves as a hall, with living quarters on both sides. It faces a small front courtyard and has a horseshoe-shaped rear corridor, with a staircase room on the right, a rear door passageway on the left, and a small central courtyard. The residence exhibits typical characteristics of Ming Dynasty architecture: the lower level is relatively low, with inverted-bowl shaped pedestals and spindle-shaped columns, moon beams, closely spaced balustrades, window panels set outside the windows, lotus-patterned pillars, clean bottle and lotus leaf railings, and square lattice railing panels. The upper floor has a separate structural framework, with a raised-beam system in the center and a through-tenon system on the gable side. The golden columns have lotus pedestals at their lower ends, while the central columns are shaped like eagle beaks at the bottom, flanked by forked brackets carved in the shape of ocean waves, and the ridge beam is adorned with flower-patterned support blocks underneath. The column capitals stand on carved cloud-piled dougong blocks, supporting the half-step beam, with roof tiles laid beneath the rafters, bracket sets on the eaves beams, and single-panel fencing around the courtyard protecting the crossbeams. The area above the beams and boards is paved with square bricks.

Address: No. 15, Xiangyang Road, She County Town