Former Residence of Zhang Fang

Former Residence of Zhang Fang

The former residence of Zhang Fang is a cultural relic protection unit of Henan Province.

The former residence of Zhang Fang is located at Courtyard 19, Chaoyang Hutong, Inside Cao Gate, Shunhe Hui District, Kaifeng City.

The former residence of Zhang Fang is in good condition, with the courtyard largely preserved. Though some modifications have been made to the buildings by the current occupants, the overall layout, architectural forms, and pavement largely maintain their original appearance. The spatial relationships with the surrounding residential environment also preserve authentic historical information.

Historical research indicates that the residence was originally built during the "Guangxu Renyin" year, which corresponds to the 28th year of the Guangxu reign, or 1902 AD. The former residence of Zhang Fang consists of an eastern main courtyard and a western auxiliary courtyard. The main courtyard is a typical three-courtyard, four-sided traditional residence of the Kaifeng area. Unfortunately, the reverse-facing building and the gate tower of the first courtyard have been demolished and replaced by a two-story residential building, and only the main house remains in the rear three courtyards. The western auxiliary courtyard currently has a two-story building. In total, there are eight surviving structures across both the eastern and western courtyards: the eastern main courtyard covers an area of 631.08 square meters, while the western auxiliary courtyard covers 223.55 square meters, bringing the total floor area to 854.63 square meters.

Zhang Fang (1886–1966), courtesy name Boying, also known as Youshi, was from Tiemen Town, Xin’an County, Henan Province. His father, Zhang Qinghe, was a selected scholar (bajin) during the Guangxu era of the Qing Dynasty and once served as a prefectural judge in Qianzhou and Luzhou, Shaanxi. Zhang Fang moved to Shaanxi with his father at a young age, where he attended military primary and secondary schools. In 1907, during the 33rd year of the Guangxu reign, he was sent to the Baoding Military Speed School to study artillery. The following year, he joined the Chinese Revolutionary Alliance (Tongmenghui). In 1908, the 34th year of Guangxu, he graduated and returned to Shaanxi to serve as a platoon leader in the artillery battalion of the New Army. On October 22, 1911, the 3rd year of the Xuantong reign, Zhang Fang, along with Zhang Fengxiang, Zhang Yunshan, Qian Ding, and others, led the… [More detailed information about Zhang Fang]

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of Cultural Relic Protection Units of Henan Province