Former Residence of Shen Congwen

　　       The world came to know and understand Fenghuang through Shen Congwen. On December 28, 1902, Mr. Shen Congwen was born in a typical southern-style traditional quadrangle courtyard on Zhongying Street in the ancient town of Fenghuang. The courtyard was built in the fifth year of the Tongzhi reign (1866) by Shen Congwen’s grandfather, Shen Hongfu (who once served as Governor of Guizhou during the Qing Dynasty), after he purchased and demolished an old civilian residence. It is a single-story building constructed with fired bricks. The compound consists of two sections, front and back, with a square red-stone-paved courtyard in the middle, flanked by side rooms, totaling 11 rooms of various sizes. The house features a post-and-lintel wooden structure with a type of sealed wall construction called “hezi.” The horse-head walls are adorned with decorative ridge ornaments, and the carved doors and windows are delicate and classic, exuding an antique charm. The entire structure embodies the distinctive architectural style of Ming and Qing dynasty western Hunan.  　    The Former Residence of Shen Congwen was designated as a key cultural relics protection site by the provincial government in 1991. The residence now displays Shen’s calligraphy, manuscripts, personal belongings, and portraits, making it one of the most captivating cultural attractions in Fenghuang.  　   

　　 Admission Fee / Opening Hours

　　    20 RMB. A combined ticket with seven attractions — including the Miao Frontier Great Wall, Shen Congwen’s Former Residence, Dongmen City Wall, Yang Family Ancestral Hall, Qiliang Cave, Tuo River boat ride, and Xiong Xiling’s Former Residence — is 148 RMB.    

　　 Western Hunan, Hunan Province

　　Shen Congwen (1902～1988)　　 Shen Congwen (1902–1988) was a renowned Chinese writer. His original name was Shen Yuehuan, and he used various pen names including Xiuyunyun, Jiachen, Shangguan Bi, and Xuanruo. His childhood name was Maolin, and his courtesy name was Chongwen. A native of Fenghuang County, Hunan, he had a grandmother from the Miao ethnic group, a mother from the Tujia ethnic group (Huang Suying), and a Han Chinese grandfather (Shen Hongfu). Therefore, Shen Congwen could be considered a member of any of these three ethnicities, but he himself felt a stronger affinity for the Miao people, and many of his literary works depict Miao customs and culture.       Shen Congwen was both a writer and a researcher of historical relics. At the age of 14, he joined the military and wandered the border areas of Hunan, Sichuan, and Guizhou. He began his literary career in 1924, writing... Details+