The Sun Family Residence

　　The Sun Family Residence is situated in Shangmaoyijian Village, Matoujian Township, Long’an District, to the southwest of Anyang City. From the stone ridge southeast of the village, one can overlook the Sun family’s residence — rows of blue-tiled buildings and watchtowers complementing each other, forming an extensive ancient architectural complex. It has long been known as “Little Beijing” and enjoys widespread fame. In June 2006, it was listed as part of the fourth batch of cultural heritage protection units in Henan Province.

　　During the reign of Emperor Zhang of the Eastern Han Dynasty, a Taoist priest named Mao Yi lived in seclusion in Donggejian, hence the name “Shangmaoyijian.” By the end of the Ming Dynasty, Sun Daoyuan, an ancestor of the Sun family, settled here.

　　From the 14th year of the Shunzhi era in the Qing Dynasty to the 6th year of the Republic of China, the Sun family built five residential compounds consisting of three courtyards and nine gateways facing each other. A total of 23 buildings with 68 rooms and 64 tile-roofed houses with 266 rooms were constructed, covering an area of over 7,500 square meters.

　　The old Sun family residence is located on the north bank of the East River, surrounded by mountains on three sides and water on the south. In front of the residence, along the north bank of the river, there is the White Dragon Temple; behind it lies the White Dragon Stone Cave, and nearby is the White Dragon Pool, which has a continuous flow of water year-round. The river curves like a dragon encircling the residence before extending northeastward — locals commonly refer to this as the “dragon turning back,” making it a truly auspicious feng shui site for building residences.

　　The four compounds at the east end of the village share a largely similar layout. The residences face south, with a five-room main hall building to the north, five tile-roofed rooms along the street at the front, and a central hall with front eaves and a kitchen in between. On both sides are wing rooms with gabled roofs, each consisting of three rooms. Each room features a five-foot-long, two-foot-wide white stone lintel, and above the doors and windows are carved cloud, floral patterns, and ancient proverbs. These are referred to as the “Five-Room Harmony Rooms.”

　　The architectural structure consists of earth, wood, brick, and stone. The foundation is built with strip stones that are nine feet long and two feet wide. Each level features 1.2-meter-long, two-foot-wide white stone corner braces, and the walls are adorned with half-foot-square white stone accents. The rooftops have eight-inch bricks at the base, topped with grey barrel tiles arranged in ridges. The first-floor doors and windows are fitted with five-foot-long, two-foot-wide white stone sills, which are carved with cloud and floral patterns as well as ancient quotes. The second floor has arched square windows with scrolled edges and horse-tooth-patterned bricks, along with floral, deer, and dragon motifs in the brick carvings. The rear and side walls feature round windows, octagonal windows, and hexagonal windows, all framed with uniquely shaped decorative bricks.

　　By the third year of the Xianfeng era, Sun Zhong traveled specifically to Beijing to obtain architectural plans for a nine-gateway courtyard. He then built another distinctive residence. This residence faces south, with a five-room tile-roofed building at the front and a two-meter-wide viewing platform along the street. The street-facing building has a raised roof with nine tiers of eaves, topped with 50-centimeter-long, 20-centimeter-wide U-shaped white stone drip tiles. Inside, there are three three-room tile-roofed buildings with raised ridges on the east and west sides. At the rear, there is a high-platform five-room sitting hall with three front-eaved rooms, flanked by side wings and backed by narrow rooms. The entire structure forms an integrated courtyard, exemplifying the classic architectural style of a traditional Chinese courtyard house.

　　Fine ancient residences embody both spiritual and material values. They influence our production and daily life and indirectly shape the style of regional architecture. Beyond the bricks and soil, the essence of these old houses is a vessel of culture. The exquisite brick carvings, intricate doors and windows, and vividly crafted tile ornaments — every detail exudes the poetic charm of these historic dwellings. The unique allure of ancient residences is increasingly recognized, and how to creatively inherit and explore their legacy is a question worthy of our consideration.