Former Residence of Wu Shifen

Former Residence of Wu Shifen

The Former Residence of Wu Shifen is a national AAA-level tourist attraction and a cultural heritage site protected at the provincial level in Shandong Province.

The Former Residence of Wu Shifen, a provincial-level cultural heritage site, is situated inside the south gate of the ancient city in Wudi County. Its architectural design showcases not only the majestic presence characteristic of official residences during the Ming and Qing dynasties but also the refined aesthetics of garden-style architecture, making it a quintessential example of ancient official residence architecture from that era. The complex includes structures such as the Wu Shifen Memorial Hall, Baoyan Hall, Shangshu Mansion, Taojia Study, Shuangyu Pot Studio, and Tingyu Pavilion. The Wu family of the Qing Dynasty was renowned throughout Qilu for its rich cultural achievements, earning titles such as “Family of Jinshi Scholars,” “Mansion of Shangshu Officials,” and “Nine Generations of Court Officials.” They were honored with the praise: “Appointed governors across four provinces, wielded military authority thrice, bestowed the title of Guanglu nine times, and recorded twice in the official histories.” Their profound cultural legacy and wide-ranging social influence are seen as a microcosm of three hundred years of Qing history. Wu Shifen, an eminent scholar-official of the Qing Dynasty’s Grand Secretariat, was a renowned epigrapher of modern times. He authored several major works including 《Jungu Lu》(Collected Antiquities), 《Jungu Lu Jinwen》(Collected Antiquities: Bronze Inscriptions), and 《Fengni Kaolüe》(A Study of Clay Seals). With his monumental hundred-volume scholarly works in epigraphy and his groundbreaking contributions to the study of clay seals, Wu Shifen stands out as an outstanding representative of the Wu family.

Architectural experts note that this studio employs an internal structural method of nested beams and inserted pillars unique to southern China, which is extremely rare in ancient architecture of Qilu. In April 1996, it was designated as a county-level cultural heritage site. In January 2004, it was listed as a municipal-level cultural heritage site. In 2005, the Wu Shifen Memorial Hall was completed and opened to the public. In December 2006, it was announced by the People's Government of Shandong Province as a provincial-level key cultural heritage site.

Customer Service Hotline: 0543-5076827

Address: West Side Inside the South Gate, Wudi, Binzhou City

Source: Shandong Provincial Tourism Development Commission

Further Reading:

· Third Batch of Shandong Provincial Cultural Heritage Sites