The Former Residence of a Scholar’s Legacy

The Former Residence of a Scholar’s Legacy

The Former Residence of a Scholar’s Legacy is a cultural relic protection unit of Nanchang County.

The “Former Residence of a Scholar’s Legacy” is situated in the central southern part of Xvqiao Natural Village, Xvqiao Village, Wuyang Town, Nanchang County (with the house numbers being 27, 28, 31, and 32 of Xvqiao Natural Village). It is a brick-and-timber residential building constructed in the late Qing Dynasty (the homeowner claims it was started in 1894, completed in 1906, and took 12 years to build). The residence faces south and covers an area of 368 square meters. It features an exterior of blue bricks, a flush-gable roof, a decorative door hood with carved floral patterns on red sandstone brackets, a red sandstone door frame, and a lintel inlaid with carved flower spandrels. At the top of the door is embedded a plaque inscribed with “The Scholar’s Legacy.” The red sandstone rib stones on the southern wall are engraved with crossed triangular patterns resembling the flag of the Qing Dynasty. The interior wooden structure follows the post-and-lintel style, spanning three bays in width, and three sections in depth with three courtyards. The first and second sections are single-story, while the third has two stories. Each section is equipped with a wooden lattice-style entryway. The beams are richly carved with exquisite patterns. Between the beams, bamboo is sandwiched, the exterior is coated white, and ink-painted designs are applied. The flower windows are especially finely crafted, featuring openwork carvings depicting the Twenty-Four Filial Exemplars (with each pattern named), as well as many other openwork allegorical designs such as “Su Shi Loves Inkstones” and “Li Bai Loves Wine.” The bases of the columns are either drum-shaped or lotus-petal-shaped wood, resting on octagonal carved stone plinths. The floor of the second section is paved with “golden bricks.”

The external walls and door hood of the “Former Residence of a Scholar’s Legacy” are largely intact, while the main internal wooden framework remains generally complete, though with some localized damage. Some wooden components are worn, and minor damage to the roofing tiles has caused slight water leakage in certain areas. The “Former Residence of a Scholar’s Legacy” is a representative example of residential architecture in the Nanchang region from the late Qing Dynasty. The exceptional craftsmanship of its wooden and stone elements is rarely seen in other residences, and the allegorical patterns offer profound insights.

Approximately 10 meters in front of the “Former Residence of a Scholar’s Legacy” is the village’s concrete main road. To the south of the road lies a roughly 30-meter-wide open-air communal space in the village, beyond which is a newly built stage situated in a pond. To the east, across a small alley, are ordinary residences, while to the west it is adjacent to regular houses. To the north, across a small open area, are also common dwellings.

On May 7, 2010, the People’s Government of Nanchang County designated it as a Cultural Relic Protection Unit in the fifth batch of Nanchang County Cultural Relics.

Source: Nanchang County Museum

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