Former Residence of Zhang Yinyuan

Former Residence of Zhang Yinyuan

The former residence of Zhang Yinyuan is a cultural relic protection unit of Foshan City.

The former residence of Zhang Yinyuan is located at No. 13, Shatangfang, Lianhua Road in Foshan. It is one of only two remaining large-scale mansion-style architectural complexes in Foshan. Zhang Yinhuan, a native of Foshan, also known by his courtesy name Haoluan and pseudonym Qiaoye, served as a minister in the Zongli Yamen during the Guangxu era. He was once appointed as envoy to the United States, Spain, and Peru, and rose to the position of Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue. Due to his support for the Reform Movement of 1898, he was exiled to Xinjiang, and was later falsely accused of colluding with Russia and executed. He excelled in parallel prose, essays, and poetry, establishing a distinctive style in each. His paintings were also extraordinary. At his home in Foshan, he set up an “Iron Painting Tower” and authored collections such as Iron Painting Tower Poetry Drafts. During the Tongzhi and Guangxu eras of the Qing Dynasty, he invested heavily in construction, sparing no expense to build this residence, resulting in a rather dignified, neat, and beautiful architectural complex. Not only does a small alley run through the property from front to back on the right side, but there are also two side halls, kitchens, storage rooms, and servant quarters arranged on both the left and right sides. The main buildings — the entrance gatehouse, the central hall, the inner hall, and the residential sections from the fourth to sixth sections — are arranged from west to east. This forms a six-courtyard, quadrangle-style layout. All structures feature flush gable roofs with “wok ear”-style fire walls. Each of the three-bay sections has a width of 10 meters, with a total area of approximately 610 square meters. The original entrance gatehouse had a large wooden carved screen placed centrally to signify the nobility of the household; its main gate was a round-arched doorway, partitioned by brick walls into left and right gate rooms, both of which were two-story wooden structures. The rear eaves used column supports and featured three-joint beams, showcasing distinctive construction. Today, parts of it, as well as the courtyard and corridors, have been modified. The second-section hall is three bays deep, forming a spacious and brightly lit four-pillar hall with exquisite craftsmanship. Both the front and rear eave corridors feature arched roof corridors. The interior beam structure combines raised beams and piercing dougong. There are many wood carvings, such as flower stands, room dividers, and sparrow brackets, all exquisitely crafted, reflecting the deliberate effort to create the grandeur of an official’s residence. The third-section inner hall is also three bays deep, forming an elegant and refined four-pillar hall. Its beam structure is the same as that of the second-section hall, but the left and right secondary spaces are divided into two bedrooms by finely carved wooden partitions. It also includes various carved flower stands and decorations, arranged tastefully without excess, demonstrating the refined and unworldly taste of the owner. The subsequent three residential buildings share a consistent format, all laid out in a “three-bay, two-corridor” plan with a flush gable and purlin structure. Side doors connect them to the small alley, serving as the living quarters for family members in the past. Although the complex has undergone slight modifications, its original appearance remains largely intact. Among existing large ancient residential complexes of its kind, it is not only well-preserved and fully equipped, but also highly typical and representative. It serves as a rare physical resource for studying the architectural history of Foshan and historical figures. It was designated as a municipal-level cultural relic protection unit in 1989.

Zhang Yinhuan (1837–1900), courtesy name Haoluan, pseudonym Qiaoye. His ancestors moved from Xiaofanli in Xinhui, Guangdong, to Zhangjia Lane in Di Street, Foshan Town (now Shatangfang, Lianhua Road, Foshan City). Zhang Yinhuan was born in Foshan in 1837 during the 17th year of the Daoguang reign of the Qing Dynasty. Born into a wealthy family, he showed talent from a young age, enjoyed socializing, but squandered the family fortune and was shunned by relatives. Resentful, he left for the provincial capital, where he later received help from friends.

In the first year of the Tongzhi reign (1862), he went to Jinan with his uncle Li Zongdai to raise money and was eventually appointed as the magistrate of Dongfu County, Shandong Province. In the third year of the Tongzhi reign (1864), he was recruited into the official’s retinue... More detailed information about Zhang Yinhuan ++