Colorful Clothes Hall

Colorful Clothes Hall

Colorful Clothes Hall is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Colorful Clothes Hall, located at No. 2 Wengjia Lane in Changshu city, was the former residence of Weng Tonghe, private tutor to Emperors Tongzhi and Guangxu of the Qing Dynasty.

Weng Tonghe (1830–1904) was from Changshu County, Suzhou Prefecture. His courtesy name was Shengfu, and he used the art names Shuping, Gongmei Jushi, and in his later years, Songchan Laoren, as well as the alias Tianfang Xianren. In 1856 (the sixth year of the Xianfeng reign), Weng Tonghe ranked first in the imperial examination and was awarded the title of Zhuangyuan (Number One Scholar). He was appointed as a Hanlin Academy editor and subsequently served as Minister of Justice, Minister of Works, and concurrently as Grand Secretary. He twice held office in the Grand Council as Director of Military Affairs, and also served as Minister for Foreign Affairs, Chief Compiler of the Collected Statutes Office, and Vice President of the National History Office, making him one of the most influential court officials during the Guangxu era.

Weng Tonghe served as tutor to both Emperor Tongzhi and Emperor Guangxu. His teachings were clear, profound yet easy to understand, and delivered with dedication and responsibility, earning him repeated honors. Emperor Guangxu received his guidance and care from the age of five. Weng Tonghe ultimately became the most trusted minister of Emperor Guangxu.

Weng Tonghe lived in an era when imperialist powers coerced the Qing court into submission, continuously carving up China and gradually reducing it to a semi-colonial state. As a high-ranking government official, Weng Tonghe demonstrated strong national self-respect, deep patriotism, and a heightened sense of responsibility. During the Sino-French and Sino-Japanese Wars, he was a leading figure among the war faction, advocating for sending troops to “aid Vietnam against France,” supporting the Black Flag Army led by Liu Yongfu in their fight against France, and fully backing Emperor Guangxu’s efforts to resist Japanese aggression. He strongly opposed the appeasement and compromise stance of the pro-peace bureaucrats within the court, voicing his dissent openly. Following the defeat in the First Sino-Japanese War, he firmly opposed the cession of Taiwan. Upon reading the text of the Treaty of Shimonoseki, he reportedly “felt dizzy and tears streamed down his face,” berating the pro-peace faction as “those who seek peace at all costs, sacrificing sovereignty and disgracing the nation” and “culprits who endangered the country.” From the repeated failures in foreign struggles, Weng Tonghe came to realize clearly that without reforming China’s political system, the Chinese nation would struggle to survive. He actively supported reformists such as Kang Youwei and Liang Qichao, persuaded Emperor Guangxu to initiate reforms, and personally drafted the imperial edicts for the Reform Movement of 1898. However, due to the scheming opposition of conservative forces led by Empress Dowager Cixi, the Reform Movement failed. Weng Tonghe was dismissed from office, expelled from Beijing, sent back to his hometown of Changshu, and placed under strict surveillance by local officials, thus ending his political career.

Weng Tonghe was talented in poetry and painting, excelling in various arts. “His literary works are refined, ancient, and unique, not falling into the ordinary. His calligraphy is bold and vigorous, with strokes that seem to penetrate the paper, bearing the spirit of Yan Zhenqing.” His published works include Eight Volumes of Bottle Cottage Poems, Thirty Volumes of Bottle Cottage Literary Selections, Forty Volumes of Weng Wengong’s Diary, Authentic Paintings of Weng Songchan’s Landscape Albums, and Collections of Weng Ping Sheng’s Screen Calligraphy and Fan Paintings, among others.

The former residence of Weng Tonghe, Colorful Clothes Hall, is a large traditional mansion. Weng Tonghe lived here from the age of 8 to 20. His living quarters, called “Baigu Studio,” were located on the west side of the residence, in a tranquil setting with simple furnishings. At the time, he studied at the Youwen Academy in Changshu. Under the guidance of his father, Weng Xincun (who was then the head of Youwen Academy), he studied diligently year-round, reading extensively. He left his hometown in 1850 (the 30th year of the Daoguang reign) to accompany his father to Beijing. In 1898 (the 24th year of the Guangxu reign), after being dismissed and sent back to his hometown, Weng Tonghe had “no small plot of land to pay taxes, nor even a single rafter to call home” in Changshu. With no property, he had to reside in the Weng family’s Bing She (ancestral retreat) beneath Boge Peak on Yushan Mountain, living a reclusive life “as lonely as a lone monk.” He passed away in 1904 (the 30th year of the Guangxu reign). Before his death, he composed his final lines: “Sixty years of events, heartache until the coffin is closed; I will not shed these two lines of tears lightly before you all.”

The ancient residence of Colorful Clothes Hall faces south and covers an area of approximately 4,620 square meters. It can be roughly divided into eastern, central, and western sections, with over 90 rooms of varying sizes still preserved today. The entrance hall is situated on the eastern side. Upon entering, there are three rooms in the east hall, followed by a small three-bay tower. The western section mainly features the flower hall Siyong Hall, along with the Twin Osmanthus Pavilion, the Library Tower, Baigu Studio, and Zhizhi Studio, all arranged in an orderly and winding layout, creating a serene and secluded atmosphere. The central axis serves as the main section, consisting of six courtyards in sequence: the entrance hall, the sedan hall, the main hall, and two courtyards of servants’ quarters. Wing rooms are located on either side of the main hall. The third courtyard features the main hall, named Colorful Clothes Hall, which is a structure remaining from the Ming Dynasty, known for its simple and elegant style. It is 14.98 meters wide and 14.03 meters deep, with a front porch and rear corridor, flat beams, and large-scale timber materials. The beams, arches, and purlins are adorned with 116 painted panels. Some panels feature raised relief decorations. A plaque inscribed with “Colorful Clothes Hall” hangs high on the rear beam. It was written in 1835 (the 15th year of the Daoguang reign) by Chen Lu, Governor of Jiangsu Province, with a smaller inscription that reads: “In the early winter of the year of Yimou in the Daoguang reign, the honorable Erming, while on assignment to oversee the imperial examinations in Zhejiang, passed through Wu region on his way back and paid respects to the Lady Mother at her residence. It coincided with the 60th birthday of the Empress Dowager, and for fifteen days, all officials wore colorful attire. He spoke of his new residence having a hall named Colorful Clothes Hall and asked me to inscribe it, to commemorate the honor of national grace and familial celebration, as a momentous event for a virtuous household. Your humble junior, Chen Lu, wrote this in tribute.”

Originally named “Sen Gui Hall,” Colorful Clothes Hall was built during the Chenghua and Hongzhi eras of the Ming Dynasty by the prominent Changshu family Sang Jin. It changed ownership several times afterward. In 1833 (the 13th year of the Daoguang reign), it came into the possession of Weng Xincun. Weng Xincun (1790–1862), father of Weng Tonghe, had the courtesy name Erming and the art name Suian. He became a Jinshi (advanced scholar) in 1822 (the second year of the Daoguang reign) and successively served as Minister of Rites, Minister of Revenue, Minister of Works, and Grand Secretary of Tiren Hall. He was also the private tutor to Emperor Tongzhi. Colorful Clothes Hall remains largely intact today and has been restored to its former glory. In 1991, it was opened as the Weng Tonghe Memorial Hall. It is now a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.