Hu Xueyan's Former Residence Ticket

Hu Xueyan's Former Residence is located on Yuanbao Street in Hangzhou, adjacent to Hefang Street. It is the top‑tier luxury mansion built by the late Qing "Red‑Top Merchant" Hu Xueyan at a cost of three million taels of silver over three years. Known as "the finest residence of China's greatest merchant in the late Qing Dynasty", it stands as the pinnacle of late Qing architecture and garden art in the Jiangnan region.

Built in the 11th year of the Tongzhi reign (1872), the entire residence faces south with a symmetrical central‑axis layout, divided into three main sections: the central reception area, the eastern living quarters, and the western Zhi Garden. Architecture and gardens blend seamlessly, showcasing extreme luxury and exquisite craftsmanship throughout. The central axis forms the core of the entrance, with the sedan courtyard featuring ginkgo wood beams that are even more lavish than those in the Forbidden City. The hall displays two redwood official sedans with finely carved details and imposing grandeur, symbolising Hu Xueyan's status and prestige.

The Hundred Lions Hall behind it serves as the main hall, once featuring rosewood railings inlaid with a hundred golden‑eyed lion carvings. The wooden lions display a remarkable variety of postures with every detail vividly rendered, representing the zenith of late Qing woodcarving art. The Zhi Garden to the west is the highlight of the residence and an exemplary model of Jiangnan garden craftsmanship. The garden features winding pavilions and corridors, meandering bridges over flowing water, and rockeries built from Taihu stones at a cost of over one hundred thousand taels of silver. It also boasts the largest existing man‑made karst cave in China, with intricate twists and turns that appear miraculously crafted.

The "Yufeng Hall" atop the rockeries was once the tallest building in Hangzhou, offering panoramic views of the lake and hills from its upper floor. Inside the cave, stalactites and stalagmites take on myriad forms, enveloped in drifting mist that lends an ethereal, fairy‑tale atmosphere. Yanbi Hall is constructed entirely of redwood, with floor‑to‑ceiling windows that open fully, allowing visitors to enjoy lakeside views while immersed in a "painted journey" experience. The eastern courtyard houses the owner's living quarters, where buildings such as Hele Hall, Qingya Hall, and the Nanzhu (Phoebe) Hall display extraordinarily lavish materials. Hele Hall features columns of南洋杉 (hoop pine), rosewood railings, and rosewood lattice windows, with each room adorned by exquisite brick‑carved doorways depicting immortals, auspicious beasts, and floral motifs, every detail impeccably crafted. The Nanzhu Hall (Zaifu Hall) is constructed entirely of golden‑thread nanmu wood, with beams, columns, window lattices, and carvings all made of precious timber, presenting a warm lustre and majestic scale that earns it the title of "Marvelous Building".

Furthermore, beneath Hele Hall lies a bluestone underground vault, which served as the Hu family's "underground treasury" in those days, reflecting the ingenuity of its design. Although the residence has weathered many vicissitudes and much of the current architecture has been restored, the brick carvings, wood carvings, stone carvings, and plaster mouldings remain remarkably well preserved, with precious timbers and opulent layouts recreating its former glory. Wandering through it, one can not only appreciate the artistic charm of Jiangnan gardens and traditional architecture, but also experience the legendary life of a great merchant and the commercial cultural heritage of the late Qing Dynasty.