Longjian Residence

　　    Legend has it that long ago, on the morning of the Jiazi day in the second month of early spring, an elderly fisherman witnessed two green dragons playing with a pearl in the sky. Soon after, the village experienced a string of joyful events, and the villagers believed it was a blessing brought by the dragons. To express their gratitude, they named the place where the old fisherman saw the dragons playing with the pearl “Longjian Residence,” which is how it got its name. Longjian Residence is a luxurious mansion built by Liang Jingbiao, a descendant of Liang ?, and Liang Dianbai, the 14th and 15th-generation ancestors of the Liang family from Huaiji who were both successful candidates in the imperial examinations during the Qing Dynasty. Constructed in the late Qing and early Republican period, it remains well-preserved to this day.

　　    Speaking of Liang ? and Liang Dianbai, the 14th and 15th-generation ancestors of the Liang family who were both successful candidates in the imperial examinations, they were uncle and nephew. The two took the exams in the same year and both passed as scholars, marking a joyous occasion for the Liang family with two successful candidates in one examination. According to the old Huaiji County Annals, Liang ? passed the imperial examination in the second year of the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty (1663) and served as the magistrate of Pingshan County in Sichuan in the 27th year. Liang Dianbai was the top scholar in the Guimao (1663) examination, serving as the head magistrate of Jiangyin County and being honored as a revered local scholar in the Changzhou subprefecture. Both officials were known for their integrity and dedication to the people, earning praise from the imperial court and the populace. In particular, Scholar Liang ? was celebrated for his clean governance, which was deeply admired and remembered by local officials and commoners alike.

　　    The Huaiji County Annals recorded: “Liang ? committed himself to clean and cautious governance. At the time, Pingshan was a poor county, plagued by consecutive earthquakes and frequent natural disasters, causing great suffering among the people. Liang ? worked with his colleagues to provide disaster relief and petitioned the imperial court to report the hardships of the local people, proposing reforms and requesting tax reductions. As a result, ‘the people all loved him.’ Later, the Qing court did not adopt his suggestions, so Liang ? resigned and returned home. Because he had governed with integrity, he lacked the funds to return, but his superiors, colleagues, local gentry, soldiers, and villagers all contributed money to help him finally make it back to his hometown from Sichuan.”

　　    After returning to his hometown, Liang ? was once invited to compile the Guangxi General Annals and the Huaiji County Annals. He was very talented and authored the three-volume Zhenyu Cao (True Foolish Grass), containing a total of 176 poems and verses. One of them expressed his sentiments about this episode, reading: “Untainted by a speck of dust, content in poverty — such is the true duty of an official. I care for the people, and the people remember me, sending me off with coins one after another.” The integrity of these two scholars and their dedication to the people had a profound influence on later generations. Their descendant, Liang Jingbiao, gave up taking the imperial exams, stayed home, and managed his affairs well. He soon became a well-known local landowner. His rice, commercial textiles, and air-powered lamps sold very well locally and even reached as far as the South China Sea and Guangxi. He built a luxurious mansion over 1,000 square meters — Longjian Residence.

　　    According to locals, it took more than two years from site selection, construction, to moving in. All the grey bricks were finely polished, and the floors inside the house were paved with grey bricks. The main house is divided into upper, middle, and lower halls. In front of the front hall is a large open courtyard, and in front of the courtyard is a wall and an exquisitely crafted granite pillar gate. Surrounding the main house are smaller rooms, forming the shape of a Chinese character “回” (return). The ancient house is built of brick and wood, with grey bricks and tiles, and its architectural craftsmanship is indeed beautiful and unique. The exterior walls are adorned with lifelike and exquisitely carved reliefs of flowers, birds, and animals, while the interior is also rich in calligraphy and paintings. There are also flower halls on both sides of the smaller rooms, with goldfish ponds inside their courtyards. The ancient house also preserves well an ancient large stone used for martial arts training. Both inside and outside the residence reflect the scholarly and martial culture of the Liang family. The residence is uniquely mystical — cool in summer and warm in winter — and to this day, descendants of the Liang family still feel a deep attachment to the old house.