Former Residence of Chen Lianzhong

Former Residence of Chen Lianzhong

The former residence of Chen Lianzhong is located at No. 84 Fengyuan North Street, Liwan District. Commonly known as the Chen Lianzhong Mansion, it boasts a spacious inner garden and covers a construction area of more than 900 square meters. Chen Lianzhong’s residence is a three-story brick-and-wood building constructed in the early years of the Republic of China. Distinct from Western architecture, it innovatively adapts traditional Guangzhou residential elements. The front and west sides feature outer corridors, while the east side has a standalone staircase — all well-suited to Guangzhou’s climate. The layout ensures independent use on each floor. With one main section and one auxiliary, it centers around the main hall and connects to the rear and auxiliary sections. It is ideal for both unified family living and separate unit usage, similar in arrangement to traditional Xiguan mansions, though some window lintels and railing decorations bear slight resemblance to Western architectural elements introduced in the early 20th century. The building is noted for its light and elegant form, with simple and unadorned exteriors, earning high praise. Photos of it have been included in the Chronicles of Guangzhou Real Estate and it is regarded as one of the outstanding representatives of Guangzhou’s residential architecture.

The inner garden of the Chen Lianzhong Mansion houses three rockeries built with Ying stones. One of them, the “Gathering of Clouds and Winds” rockery complex, is situated amid a deep pool. According to Chen Shaoxun, the fifth son of Chen Lianzhong, this rockery was built around 1920 under the direction of the family steward along with several craftsmen. The steward had a deep passion for garden artistry, and every stone, tree, and element in the garden was designed and arranged by him, earning high acclaim from the master of the house.

According to engineer Mo Xu from the architectural firm of Mo Bozhi, in 1958 the Chen Lianzhong Mansion’s rockery was considered the only remaining famous man-made rock landscape from the Qing Dynasty in Guangzhou. He and his brother, led by their father Mo Bozhi, would visit the Chen family garden every weekend and Sunday to sketch and study the “Gathering of Clouds and Winds” rockery, exploring its masonry structure and craftsmanship — all as preparation for constructing the Bitan Restaurant’s “Green Pool Rockery.” Later, the rockery beside the Mountain Tower at Bitan Restaurant was completed and named “Su Dongpo Visits Red Cliff,” receiving widespread praise. Overseas media even hailed it as one of the greatest man-made rockery projects in China since the 20th century. This highlights how the “Gathering of Clouds and Winds” rockery at the Chen Lianzhong Mansion served as a crucial link between past and future, standing alongside the “Su Dongpo Visits Red Cliff” as masterpieces and rare surviving examples of Lingnan garden rockery art. It is truly remarkable. Today, a decades-old banyan tree has grown on the rockery, its roots having merged with the structure to help support it. The district greening committee regularly trims the canopy to prevent the tree from being toppled by strong winds.

Before the establishment of New China, the Chen Lianzhong family had already left their Guangzhou residence, though ten households of the Chen family continued to live there. In the 1950s, the Liwan District Committee used the site to operate a government-run kindergarten. In 1961, the Liwan District Housing Authority relocated the ten Chen families and transformed the property into a distinctive and sizable kindergarten. By the 1980s, the kindergarten was closed and relocated, but the buildings continued to be used by the district government. In the early 1990s, the Liwan District Committee and District Government decided to undertake major renovations of the Chen Lianzhong Mansion, demolishing temporary structures built during the kindergarten era in the inner courtyard, thus restoring the mansion to its original charm. The building and garden now serve as the site of the Liwan District Museum. The inner garden now borders streets on three sides, appearing even more expansive, with lush trees leaving a deep impression on visitors. In August 1993, it was designated as a Guangzhou Municipal Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Further Reading:

· Fourth Batch of Guangzhou Municipal Cultural Relics Protection Units