The Cheng Family Residence

The Cheng Family Residence

The Cheng Family Residence is a cultural relic protection unit of Anhui Province.

The Cheng Family Residence

It is adjacent to the Zhao Renfeng Residence to the east, connected to the Cheng Songlin Residence to the west, neighboring the Zu Xianming Residence to the south, and facing the transverse alley of Panlin Street to the north. Built in the 18th year of the Wanli era during the Ming Dynasty (1600), the residence covers an area of 156 square meters. It features a two-story, three-bay structure both at the front and rear, forming an inward-facing, square-shaped courtyard centered around the front and rear hall courtyards. This type of inward-facing courtyard, centered on a skylight-like courtyard, makes full use of the courtyard’s functions such as lighting, ventilation, and drainage. Additionally, a bonsai fishpond can be placed in the courtyard to add variation and bring a sense of natural beauty into the home.

The main gate of the residence is located on the left side and is fitted with a wooden fence. The second-floor gatehouse is connected to the kitchen, which is separated by a brick wall and accessible through an arched side door. The kitchen has a back door leading to a small alley. The gateway arch is constructed from granite as the gate frame, while the gate itself is faced with square bricks arranged in a diagonal grid pattern, edged with iron sheeting along the seams. The central part of the bricks is secured with round-headed iron nails, giving the entrance an imposing and dignified appearance. The kitchen door on the left side of the rear section is also faced with square bricks and pressed with iron sheeting.

The horizontal wall of the courtyard is 9 meters high, and the gable walls on both sides rise to 13 meters. The courtyard floor is paved with bluestone, and the front courtyard features a granite flower stand that dates back to the Ming Dynasty. The lower hall downstairs is grand and spacious. The eave columns have crescent-shaped beams, and the stone plinths are in the shape of inverted basins. Under the beams of the hall, there are carved money-plum blossom pendant decorations, and the ceiling is painted. The floor is made of lime-soil mixture. Each of the first and second floors has six sets of bracket sets (dougong) at the eaves. The roof is covered with roof tiles, forming what is known as a "hall on the upper floor." The framing is neat, and the melon-shaped column capitals and disc-and-square blocks are finely carved. The space between the floor columns is partitioned with mud-reed walls, which remain solid and sturdy to this day. The side columns and beams are set about a foot away from the gable walls, serving a fireproofing function. The ceiling is adorned with painted patterns that are elegant and exquisitely beautiful. The room windows are fitted with simple yet refined lattice window panels, and the second-floor eaves feature a total of 44 four-panel lattice window panels across the front and rear halls.

Address: No. 26, Panlin Street, Inside the Old City of Yixian County