Former Residence of Ji Xiaolan

Former Residence of Ji Xiaolan

The former residence of Ji Xiaolan is a protected cultural heritage site of Beijing.

The former residence of Ji Xiaolan is located at No. 241, West Zhushikou Street. It sits on the north side of West Zhushikou Street, at the site of the Jin Yang Restaurant. The restaurant preserves a traditional two-courtyard siheyuan, with wisteria in the front courtyard and crabapple trees in the rear courtyard that date back to the original property. In 1931, Yu Shuyan and Mei Lanfang established the “National Opera Academy,” “National Opera Pictorial Society,” and “National Opera Training Institute” at the original site of the cottage.

Ji Xiaolan (1724–1805), whose given name was Xun and courtesy name Xiaolan, was from Xian County, Hebei Province. He was a scholar and litterateur of the Qing Dynasty, serving as an Associate Grand Secretary. He led the compilation of the Siku Quanshu (Complete Library in Four Branches of Literature), and authored the 200-volume Siku Quanshu Zongmu Tiyao (General Catalogue of the Siku Quanshu) and the Yuewei Caotang Notes.

The original site of the Yuewei Caotang (Study of Careful Thoughts) is located in Hufangqiao. It was originally the residence of Yue Zhongqi, a powerful official during the Yongzheng reign and the 21st-generation descendant of Yue Fei. Ji Xiaolan lived there for over thirty years. After his death in 1805, since he still owned a house on Zhuchao Street, his descendants rented out half of this property to Huang Antao. The house changed hands many times until October 1, 1958, when the Jin Yang Restaurant opened here, after which there were no further changes.

Since the ownership of the former residence of Ji Xiaolan belongs to the Jin Yang Restaurant, it is still managed by them. This may be the reason why authentic cultural relics and calligraphic works scattered elsewhere have not been acquired and preserved here. However, the ancient wisteria tree, densely shaded and standing in front of the residence, was indeed planted by Ji Xiaolan himself. Back in the day, the renowned writer Lao She often visited to enjoy Jin cuisine and admire the ancient wisteria, even composing a quatrain: “Camel hump and bear paw are nothing to boast of, fish in ear-shape and pulled noodles are both real treats; with fragrant spring breeze in the hall, ten zhang of purple wisteria bloom in the courtyard.”

Overview: The former residence of Ji Xiaolan is a two-courtyard siheyuan, adjacent to the Jin Yang Restaurant. Historical features within the residence include the wisteria in the front courtyard and the crabapple trees in the rear courtyard, both planted by Ji Xiaolan himself. It is said that the crabapple tree even holds memories of a romantic episode in his life.

Upon entering the Yuewei Caotang, the most eye-catching item is the long dry tobacco pipe displayed in the showcase. As everyone knows, Ji Xiaolan was heavily addicted to smoking, with an unusually large capacity for tobacco. His tobacco pipe was custom-made to hold three or four taels of tobacco at a time. While compiling the Siku Quanshu, he walked from his old house on Huai Xi to the Old Summer Palace, and had only smoked half the tobacco in his pipe, earning him the nickname “Ji the Big Tobacco Pipe.”

The residence of Ji Xiaolan is built in traditional Qing-style brick and wood structure, essentially following the layout of a two-courtyard siheyuan. It faces south and is situated along the street, with a main gate in the southeast corner. The gate features a traditional upturned roof in a propitious design known as “Jixiang Ruyi” (auspicious as one wishes).

The south room on the west side connected to the gateway is a “reversed-seat” room with four doors. The front courtyard has a wisteria vine, said to have been planted by Ji Xiaolan himself. Despite being over two hundred years old, it remains lush and leafy. The late Lao She used to sit at the dining table under the wisteria, enjoying the scenery and delicious food. The front courtyard’s main building is a large hall with a layout of three rooms in front and six in the back. The front section has one door and two windows framed by brick carvings, while the back connects to the inner courtyard via a door. A corridor extends behind the hall. The upper parts of the beams inside the hall are fitted with latticed windows. The hall is spacious, bright, elegant, and refined. At the back of the inner courtyard, there were originally two crabapple trees planted by Ji Xiaolan, though only the one on the east side remains today. It is still robust and blooms profusely. The main structure at the back of the courtyard is the “Yuewei Caotang.” The caotang has an inverted “convex” shape, featuring three rooms in front and five in the back, with a front corridor. The front three rooms consist of a central entrance hall, flanked by two “ear rooms” divided by partition screens. The back five rooms form the main study area, spanning east to west, two rooms deep, totaling ten rooms. Inside, a screen stands at the center of the back northern wall, with a horizontal plaque hanging above, inscribed with “Former Site of Yuewei Caotang,” written by the famous calligrapher Qi Gong. Having endured over two hundred years of history, the residence of Ji Xiaolan carries numerous historical imprints and a profound cultural legacy.

The preservation of the former residence of Ji Xiaolan and many other cultural heritage sites has become a focus of attention for media and the public. It is a key protected cultural relic in Xuanwu District. Transportation Information

Transportation: Take trolleybus 105, or buses 743, 715, or 57, and get off at Hufangqiao East Station.

Address: No. 241, West Zhushikou Street, Xicheng District, Beijing

Type: Historical Architecture / Celebrity Residence

Recommended Visit Duration: 1–2 hours

Phone: 010-63036712

Official Website: http://www.jxlgj.cn/

Opening Hours:

8:00-18:00

Ticket:

Adult Ticket for Visiting the Former Residence of Xiaolan in Beijing – 40 RMB

Ji Xiaolan (1724–1805), also known as Ji Yun, courtesy name Xiaolan, also called Chunchuan, and late pseudonym Shiyun, with the Taoist name Guanyi Daoren. He was from Cui’ezhuang Town, Cang County, Hebei Province. Born in June of the second year of the Yongzheng reign (1724) during the Qing Dynasty, and died in February of the tenth year of the Jiaqing reign (1805), having lived through the Yongzheng, Qianlong, and Jiaqing eras, he reached the age of 82. Because he was “quick-witted, studious, skilled in writing, and capable in governance” (as inscribed on the imperial stele bestowed by Emperor Jiaqing), he was posthumously given the title “Wenda” (literary greatness), and was commonly referred to as “Wenda Gong” by his fellow villagers. Representative works: Siku Quanshu Zongmu Tiyao, Yuewei Caotang Notes.

Introduction:

The Ji family moved to Xian...  More details about Ji Xiaolan++

Further Reading:

· Seventh Batch of Municipal-Level Protected Cultural Heritage Sites in Beijing