Chen Jitang’s Former Residence in Conghua

Chen Jitang’s Former Residence in Conghua

Chen Jitang’s Former Residence in Conghua is a cultural tourism attraction.

Chen Jitang’s Villa is located at No. 50 Liyuan Road, Hedong, Wenquan Town. The Conghua hot springs are not only blessed with picturesque landscapes and beautiful scenery, but also abound in myths, legends, and historical relics, earning the reputation of a “fairyland cave.” It is a renowned scenic area where the Liuxi River meanders from north to south, flanked by clear mountains and emerald valleys, with silver waves shimmering on high-altitude alpine lakes. Each of the uniquely featured three-tiered waterfalls is majestic and spectacular, with the natural beauty being richly diverse. Coupled with the natural hot spring waters known for their healing and health benefits, the area attracts a continuous stream of domestic and international visitors, a place long coveted by Chen Jitang.

With its many legends and historical relics, the area has long been known as a “fairyland cave” and is a renowned scenic spot. The Liuxi River meanders from north to south, with clear mountains and emerald valleys along its banks, and high-altitude alpine lakes with shimmering silver waves. The uniquely featured three-tiered waterfalls are majestic and spectacular, with the natural beauty being richly diverse. Coupled with the natural hot spring waters known for their healing and health benefits, the area attracts a continuous stream of domestic and international visitors, a place long coveted by Chen Jitang. In 1936, during the large-scale development of the Conghua hot springs, Chen Jitang selected Qinglongtou Mountain, nestled within a bamboo grove, and constructed a classical-style garden building with a combination of Chinese and Western architectural elements. This structure was made of reinforced concrete and situated at the foot of the mountain.

The villa faces southwest from a northeast orientation, built with a reinforced concrete structure, and features an overall layout that blends Chinese and Western styles. Within a courtyard enclosed by a 2-meter-high wall, there is a pond with rockeries, where lotus flowers float and fish swim. Along both sides of the courtyard walls are planted ornamental trees and flowers such as spathiphyllum and magnolia, with the villa nestled among them. Upon entering the courtyard, the distinctive features of traditional Chinese architecture come into view—structures that follow the terrain, winding corridors, and upturned eaves.

The building has a cross-shaped floor plan, spanning 7 bays, 22.45 meters in width, and 11.5 meters in depth. The central bay extends forward to form a porch, supporting a second-floor balcony, while inward it extends into a stairwell. The building has two floors, with a hip-and-gable roofed pavilion protruding from the center, consistent with the side roof style of the Guangzhou Zhongshan Memorial Hall. The roof has a distinct pitch, covered with plain tiles, while the nine ridges are fitted with green glazed tiles, edged with tubular glazed tiles. The wall tops and beams are painted with various types of “harmony-seal colored paintings” used in the Forbidden City, showing a distinct northern style. The floor is paved with colorful cement floral tiles. Corner beams extend out to support the eaves, beneath which are bracket sets, with four-cornered bracket arms extending outward. The flying eaves and upturned corners are ingeniously unique. The central protruding terrace is supported by four columns, featuring Western-style column capitals. The main hall is located in the central bay, with wooden-framed glass windows on the two side bays, adorned with polychrome Manchu-style windows. Below the windows is a decorative small balcony with a revolving railing. Inside the villa, the layout consists of a large central hall, with corridors on both sides leading to two rooms, and the stairwell located behind the hall. The layout centers around the stairwell in the central bay, with the hall in front, and rooms on either side of the hall.

Wenquan Town: Wenquan Town is located in the northeastern part of Conghua City, covering a total area of 212.2 square kilometers, with a population of approximately 50,000. It governs 22 village committees and 3 community resident committees.

Wenquan Town enjoys a superior geographical location, bordering Zengcheng and Dongguan to the east, Guangzhou to the south, Qingyuan and Shaoguan to the west, and connecting to Jiangxi Province to the north. It is just 75 kilometers from downtown Guangzhou. The area has well-connected transportation, with National Highway 105, Provincial Highway 355, the Conghua-Zengcheng Expressway, and the Jiedong Expressway running through the town. It is just over 10 kilometers from the Conghua exit of the Beijing-Zhuhai Expressway and only... Detailed information about Wenquan Town++