Shou'an Chen Family Courtyard

Shou'an Chen Family Courtyard

Shou'an Chen Family Courtyard is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Shou'an Chen Family Courtyard (commonly known as Chen Family Flagpole) is located in Baihua Community, Shou'an Town, Wenjiang District, Chengdu. Originally built during the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty and expanded in the third year of the Tongzhi era (1864), it is a comprehensive courtyard-style architectural complex that integrates residential quarters, ancestral halls, and gardens. The entire property covers an area of 15 mu, with a construction area of over 3,000 square meters. It consists of 12 courtyards of varying sizes, ingeniously and compactly arranged with a generous and rational layout that reflects the characteristics of the Qing Dynasty. The buildings in the courtyard feature a post-and-lintel wooden structure, and a pair of double-pillar flagpoles stand at the entrance, hence the common name “Chen Family Flagpole.” The structures within the Chen Family Courtyard are divided into three groups:

The first group comprises the central three main courtyards and the offering platform. The first and second courtyards served as important venues for family discussions and the enforcement of household rules; the third courtyard was where the ancestral hall administrators resided. The offering platform was used to place ancestral spirit tablets and for ancestral worship.

The second group is the small flower hall on the north side, in front of which lies a study named “Cuibo Mountain House.” It is elegantly furnished, with hollow-carved stone reliefs and calligraphy and paintings adorning its walls. Behind it is the Loyalty and Filial Piety Ancestral Hall, which houses an exquisitely carved stone arch bridge adorned with bas-relief figures. Below the bridge is a fishpond, and the central wall features a stone-carved genealogy. Two stone steles inscribed with imperial edicts in both Manchu and Chinese scripts stand inside the hall.

The third group is the large flower hall on the south side, which boasts the highest artistic value among the entire complex. At the front of the courtyard stands a screen wall, flanked by stone gateways shaped like memorial archways, featuring exquisite stone and wood carvings. The area includes pavilions, waterside kiosks, fishponds, and rockeries, all arranged in a winding and intricate layout.

Protected Area: Eastward to the 110-meter section of village road along the east side of the main gate of the Chen Family Courtyard; south, west, and north to 20 meters beyond the surrounding walls.

Construction Control Zone: Extending 100 meters eastward, 211 meters southward, 155 meters westward, and 141 meters northward from the boundary of the protected area.

Baihua Community: Baihua Community is located to the west of Shou'an Town, Wenjiang District, Chengdu, covering an area of 2.23 square kilometers. It includes arable land of over 3,330.64 mu, governs 15 villager groups, has 867 households, and a population of 2,587 people, among whom 55% are female, including 357 students and 94 Communist Party members. The community also contains one residential compound. The area’s dominant industry is the flower and plant trade, with 2,100.16 mu of flowers and plants—accounting for over 90% of the arable land—offering a wide variety and complete specifications. It is especially renowned for its potted plants and root carvings, and enjoys the reputation of being the “Hometown of Flowers and Plants.” It is also home to the widely known “Flower King of Western Sichuan,” Chen Kai... Baihua Community Detailed Information++

Further Reading:

· Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units