Ancient residential complex "Twin Dragons Emerging from Water"

Ancient residential complex "Twin Dragons Emerging from Water"

The ancient residential complex "Twin Dragons Emerging from Water" is a cultural tourism attraction.

Ancient residential complex "Twin Dragons Emerging from Water"

The ancient residential complex "Twin Dragons Emerging from Water" is located to the south of Shangchi Natural Village. Constructed with brick, wood, and stone, it was first built by Wang Jieyun, the founder of the printing and publishing business “Eryitang” on the Book Street of Hukouan, Jinxi during the Qianlong era of the Qing Dynasty.

Wang Jieyun, whose given name was Guokang, courtesy name Wenkang, and art name Nanpu, was an imperial scholar of the Qing Dynasty and was posthumously honored as a Fuzhi doctor.

Wang Jieyun was a true scholar-merchant. He established the nationally renowned printing and publishing house “Eryitang” in Hukouan Town, Jinxi County, Jiangxi Province, and also ran major bookstores in Ji’an, Zhangshu, and Nanchang. While engaging in commerce and education, he placed great emphasis on teaching his descendants both literary and martial pursuits. Behind the old family residence in Shangchi, he constructed the twin residences of “Twin Dragons Emerging from Water,” and behind these, he also built an academy for his descendants to study and practice martial arts. The “Twin Dragons Emerging from Water” architectural complex features two closely connected, identically structured residences as its main buildings.

“Twin Dragons Emerging from Water” faces south, with a depth of 16 meters and a width of 22 meters. The front of both large gates is enclosed by a 4-meter-high screen wall. Each building has an upper and lower hall, along with a central courtyard. A passageway connects the two houses through an arched gate, and together with the front courtyard, western courtyard, and eastern corridor, the total area covers approximately 600 square meters.

On the left side of the front screen wall of the old residence, there is a main gate with a plaque inscribed in relief with the characters “Yanqing” (meaning “prosperity extended”) in regular script. Facing north, this building stands alongside the eastern academy, with a depth of 18 meters and a width of 25 meters. Each building includes two halls and two courtyards, along with the front courtyard,

western courtyard, and eastern corridor, covering a total area of about 600 square meters.

Altogether, the “Twin Dragons Emerging from Water” architectural complex covers an area of approximately 3,000 square meters, with additional gardens, wells, ponds, and toilets occupying around 1,000 square meters.

Wang Jieyun’s family had four generations living together. His descendants were well-versed in both literature and martial arts, skilled in business management, and financially prosperous. As a result, the “Twin Dragons Emerging from Water” architectural complex is expansive in scale and grand in structure.