Gaochunji Xuan

　　Situated on Gongyuan Road in the ancient city of Tongcheng, it is adjacent to the Tongcheng Confucius Temple and was built in the ninth year of the Republic of China (1920). It is a typical example of traditional Tongcheng residential architecture, consisting of two parts: the “Xuan” (pavilion) and the “Lou” (building). The Tongcheng School Exhibition Hall is housed here.

　　The “Lou” serves as the main structure, standing 7.4 meters tall. It consists of a front section and a rear section, built parallel to each other, each with five bays. Each bay of the front section is 5.7 meters long and 3.7 meters wide, covering an area of 172.5 square meters; each bay of the rear section is 6.7 meters long and 3.7 meters wide, covering an area of 191.25 square meters. Between the two sections, 4.8-meter-high gable walls connect the sides, forming a rectangular courtyard that is 12.8 meters long and 3.35 meters wide. Both the front and rear buildings are wooden structures with internal and external corridors, referred to as a “horse-riding corridor building.” The corridor railings on the upper floors feature bottle-shaped wooden pillars adorned with carved floral and bird designs, while the room dividers are made of bamboo-woven mud walls. The windows consist of skylights above and large lattice glass windows below.

　　The “Xuan” has only one section, located to the west of the Lou and connected integrally with the rear building through a single door. It covers an area of 69.6 square meters and is divided into four bays, each 5.8 meters long and 3 meters wide. Corridors are present on the upper and lower levels on the east, west, and north sides, while the south side features an openwork gable wall, creating a small courtyard measuring 5.2 meters by 5 meters. A “vase-shaped” moon gate is installed, with a stone plaque embedded in the lintel inscribed with the name “Gaochunji Xuan.” The courtyard contains flowers, plants, and ornamental lake rocks, exuding the classic charm of a Jiangnan-style garden. On the western side of the courtyard stands a pavilion-style stairwell wooden building, a semi-hexagonal structure that leads to the upper floor. This breaks the symmetrical layout typical of traditional architecture and creates a uniquely charming feature, commonly known as the “Guanyin Pavilion.”