Residential buildings - Xiangcheng Yuan's former residence

Residential Architecture - Xiangcheng Yuan's Former Residence

Yuan's Former Residence is located in Yuanzhai Village, Wang Mingkou Township, 13km southeast of Xiangcheng City, where Yuan Shikai was born in 1859, and is also known as Yuan Shikai's Former Residence, which is a national key cultural relics protection unit.

Yuan's former residence was originally the manor of the late Ming Dynasty eunuch Shi, formerly known as Shi Waizhuang. Qing Daoguang years (1821-1850), Shi's family fell, Yuan Shikai grandfather Yuan A three, father Yuan Baozhong in Xianfeng seven years (1857) to buy Shi's manor and moved here. After the birth of Yuan Shikai, his father Yuan Baozhong remodeling and construction of the manor, forming a set of unique, set of homes and castles in one of the architectural complex.

The overall layout of Yuan's former residence is square, covering an area of 18h square meters, from east to west in order of juxtaposition of three groups of courtyards, each group of courtyards according to the traditional Chinese architectural layout into the front, middle and back of the three quadrangular courtyard, **** there are more than 60 single building. The west side of the former residence has another garden, small bridges and water, a unique flavor. The south side of the former residence built several groups of courtyard layout of the guest rooms and long-time workers housing. The former residence of the northeast side of the original school a school, is the Yuan family for the village of poor people's children to study the construction. In order to strengthen the security and defense of the manor house, Yuan's family in the courtyard around the construction of a high more than ten feet high fortress wall, fortress wall outside the excavation of two moats, the corners of the construction of the gun tower. Walled east and west sides of the gate and drawbridge. The whole manor such as copper walls, unbreakable, is a reflection of the turbulent situation in China at the time.

Yuan's former residence of the existing buildings are mixed brick and wood structure, single-story or heavy hard mountain structure, cloth tile roof. The original building east, center, west three groups of courtyards, each group of courtyards and three courtyards. Each group of courtyards is divided into three courtyards. Each group of courtyards is separated by a courtyard wall, but there is a side door to pass to and fro. The courtyards are both relatively independent and interconnected. Yuan Shikai's sixth brother, Yuan Shitong built and lived in the west courtyard, the existing cultural relics buildings have five rooms, over the hall, waist floor, the back of the building; East Yuan Shikai's father, Yuan Baozhong built the existing cultural relics buildings have a back of the building (Yuan Shikai's birthplace), the rooms and over the hall of each one; the center of the courtyard for Yuan Shikai's uncle and grandfather, Yuan Chongsan built and lived in the building and the waist building, which only exists over the building and the waist floor.

The overall layout of Yuan's former residence is sparse and orderly, the building heights are staggered, strong sense of defense, is a typical landlord manor building, especially as the former residence of an important historical figure, has significant heritage value. The former residence of the brick carvings, wood carvings and a variety of burnt ridge decorative art components such as image colorful, exquisite production, more closely related to the people's lives, the study of the Central Plains area of folk culture has an important value.

Bird's-eye view (provided by Wen Xuan)

Side view of the main building of the central courtyard (provided by Wen Xuan)

The main building of the backyard on the right (provided by Wen Xuan)

Waist building of the middle group of courtyards (provided by Wen Xuan)

The backyard building - Yuan Shikai's birthplace (provided by Wen Xuan)

The general layout plan (Courtesy of Wenxuan)