Shantou Photo Gallery - Chen Ci Hong Residence
| |||
Chen Ci Hong starting building a grand residence in the outlying villages in 1910. The 506-room home was completed in 1939 and displays many traditional local architecture elements, including wood carvings, porcelain, and glass.Getting here is quite a challenge. From People's Square and Shantou Railway Station, hop on the 103 bus. Over 1.5 hours later from the city, you will get off in a sparsely-populated suburban area of industrial buildings, farms, and houses in the distance. With sparse signage, follow your online map and walk another 10-15 minutes into the village and the ticketing office. The first map shows this residence is between Shantou and Chaozhou. The second map shows how to walk from the main road after getting off the 103 bus.
| |||
Outside, there are already historic buildings that appear to be homes for the wealthier classes of yesteryear.
40 yuan later, I walked into a plant-filled pond for the grand entrance into a vast courtyard.
The rooms are sparsely-populated but notice the variety of floor tiles used in different rooms as well as the architectural features on door and window frames.
The wide corridors lead into different courtyards. Remember to head upstairs as well, which the tour groups don't seem to venture into. There are more rooms and hallways that lead to surprisingly-spacious balconies and rooftops.
Some rooms have trap doors on the floors. When floods come or bandits storm in, these escape batches will be opened to secure valuables on higher ground. Alternatively, this is where visitors into the late night slip in for a discreet meeting.
Outside this wall is a canal. Valuables would be hauled up this door in the event of a flood so the occupants trapped upstairs can sustain themselves.
The residence is quite vast and this is just one of several parallel corridors.
Some elements of commercialization have occupied parts of the building, such as this green-filled cafe and shops downstairs.
Even the stairs have carvings.
Be sure to meticulously walk around the premises, especially upstairs, since there are many corridors and exits. The second floor extends back to the first courtyard where your ticket was checked and offers a panoramic view of the entire residence.
After going through so many winding corridors, the other tourist groups won't likely be able to follow in your footsteps although you can still hear them below.
| |||
