Qi Baishi’s Former Residence

　　Located in the middle of Yier Hutong, adjacent to Nanluoguxiang to the east. It is said that this residence was originally the home of a high-ranking official from the Imperial Household Department during the mid-to-late Qing Dynasty, later divided and sold. After the founding of New China, it was purchased by the Ministry of Culture to serve as the residence of the painter Qi Baishi. However, as the elderly artist missed his old home in Xicheng District, he did not stay here for long and moved back. The site was then converted into the Qi Baishi Memorial (established during his lifetime). During the Cultural Revolution, the memorial was disbanded and repurposed as the Beijing Painting Academy. It now houses the Chinese Painting Editorial Department of the Beijing Painting Academy and the Beijing Artists Association. The residence was built in the mid-to-late Qing Dynasty. No. 13 courtyard is only part of the original property and is a relatively intact single siheyuan (courtyard house). It faces south and has one main gate (not the original), two wing rooms at the rear. Inside the courtyard, there are three rooms each on the south, north, east, and west sides—each featuring flush-gable roofs with double tiles and ridges, all with front corridors. The central bays of the corridors have bracket sets (que ti), the end bays feature inverted-hanging lintels above and bench-style railings below. The rooms are connected by corner corridors. The north room has three wing rooms on the east and west sides, while the south room connects to three reverse-slope wing rooms on the west. The corners of each room feature exquisite brick carvings, and the panels between corridors showcase carved calligraphy and seal engravings. The wooden partition in the central bay of the north room bears carved couplets. On the west wall of the southern end of the west wing room, there is a brick-carved inscription reading “Purple Air Comes from the East.” The brick and wood carvings in this courtyard hold significant artistic value. On January 21, 1986, it was designated as a cultural relic protection unit in Dongcheng District.

　　Residence Information

　　Residence Overview

　　Address: No. 13, Kuaiche Hutong, inside Pica Hutong, Xicheng District Nature: Key cultural relic protected by Beijing Municipality. The residence faces east and is situated to the west. It covers an area of 204 square meters and is a sanheyuan (traditional three-sided courtyard) with an additional wing courtyard. Qi Baishi lived here from the age of 50 until his passing. The three northern rooms were the original “Baishi Painting Studio,” also known as the Iron Fence House due to the iron railing installed in front. Under the eaves of the north room hangs a horizontally inscribed plaque reading “Baishi Painting Studio,” calligraphed and carved by Qi Baishi in seal script. The large characters are still faintly visible.

　　The residence’s entrance faces east. It is a courtyard with east, west, and north rooms, covering an area of approximately 600 square meters. The three northern rooms were Qi Baishi’s studio, bedroom, and dining room during his lifetime. After the Marco Polo Bridge Incident on July 7, 1937, Qi Baishi, who made a living by selling paintings, shut himself off from visitors here. He refused requests for paintings from Japanese puppet officials at all levels and did not sell any artworks, demonstrating noble national integrity. According to Qi Liangchi, Qi Baishi’s sixth son and a renowned painter who currently resides in the residence, his father created over 20,000 paintings here. When the Japanese invaded Beiping, Qi painted “Group of Rats” to satirize the invaders; to criticize corrupt bureaucrats, he painted “Tumbler Dolls” and crab paintings captioned with the phrase “Let’s see how long you can bully others.” After the founding of New China, he painted “Long Live the Motherland”; during the Korean War, he contributed peace doves for charity sales to express his deep love for the country. After Qi Baishi’s passing, his descendants—including sons, daughters, and grandchildren—lived in the residence. Today, the residence is almost entirely surrounded by high-rise buildings. The Kuaiche Hutong outside the gate has largely disappeared, the northern section of the hutong has been blocked off, leaving only a short southern stretch where the residence stands alone. For safety reasons, the residence is closed day and night. When the author made an appointment for an interview, Qi Liangchi repeatedly reminded: “Call when you arrive so I can come open the door for you—it’s hard to get a response otherwise.” Qi Liangchi, now 80 years old, inherited his father’s talents in painting, calligraphy, seal carving, and poetry. He serves as the president of the Beijing Qi Baishi Art Research Association and the Furen Calligraphy and Painting Research Association, among other social roles. Asked what his father left behind in the residence that remains most unforgettable to him, he cited his father’s lifelong frugality. Qi Baishi even saved the packaging paper used for his xuan paper, sketching drafts on the wrappers—many of which became treasured works. On one such piece, where he painted “The Goddess Magu Offering Longevity Peaches,” he inscribed: “For those capable, this is a fine draft.” When asked about how well Qi Baishi’s 12 children and descendants carried on his artistry, Qi Liangchi explained that four of the children continued the legacy: Qi Liangji (third son), Qi Liangzhi (daughter), Qi Liangmo (youngest son), and himself. Among the grandchildren, Qi Zhanyi (grandson) and Qi Bingshu (granddaughter) did so as well. Qi Liangchi also mentioned that the “Beijing Qi Baishi Modern Art Center,” initiated by the Beijing Painting Academy, has received attention and support from Beijing Municipal Party Committee leaders and is currently in the process of selecting a site along Chang’an Avenue.

　　Qi Baishi (1864–1957)　　Qi Baishi (January 1, 1864 – September 16, 1957), originally from Dangshan, Suzhou Prefecture, Anhui (now Dangshan, Suzhou, Anhui), was born in Xiangtan, Changsha Prefecture, Hunan (present-day Xiangtan, Hunan). Originally named Chunzhi, courtesy name Weiqing, and art name Lanting. Later changed his name to Huang, courtesy name Bingsheng, and used the art names Baishi, Baishi Shanweng, Laoping, E’sou, Jieshan Yin’guanzhuzhe, Jipingtang Shang Lao’ren, and Sanbai Shi Yin Fuweng. He was a modern Chinese painting master and a world cultural figure. In his early years, he worked as a carpenter before making a living selling paintings. He settled in Beijing at the age of 57. Renowned for his paintings of flowers, birds, insects, fish, landscapes, and figures, his brushwork was bold and rich, his colors vibrant and lively, his forms simple yet vivid, and his artistic conception sincere and unadorned...  More+

Qi Baishi’s Former Residence isAAa [level/classification missing in original] attraction