Wuben Hall, Huan Tan Village, Hangzhou, Zhejiang

Wuben Hall of the Tian family is the most famous building on the old street of Huan Tan. The name of the hall comes from The Analects of Confucius: "The gentleman devotes himself to the foundation, and the foundation is established, and the way is born." It means to devote oneself to the fundamental things. In traditional Chinese culture, those who have made achievements all teach their children and grandchildren to "study poetry and books, learn etiquette and easy learning" as the method of Wuben. Like "farming in sunny days and reading in rainy days", the name of Wuben Hall is taken from the cultural charm, that is, to interpret the style of family education through architectural language, which shows the prosperity of the local culture.
Wuben Hall was built in the Daoguang period of the Qing Dynasty. It faces south, with Cuishan Bay behind it and Huan Tan Creek in front of it, covering an area of 1,678.6 square meters. There are three entrances and two courtyards in the front and back, and there are 11 east and west wing rooms. It is a large-scale, well-designed and exquisitely carved traditional quadrangle courtyard in Jiangnan. The entrance hall is 9 rooms wide and concave. The bright room is a corridor and a stone gate, with 5 steps in front of the door. The second and third halls are both 3 rooms and 2 lanes, and there are 2 pools made of large green slabs in the patio. The corridors around the hall are continuous, and each room has corridors and roll sheds. Horsehead walls, hook heads and dripping water, eaves corridors and stone slabs in patios are all traditional architectural features of Jiangsu and Zhejiang. The whole house is full of exquisitely carved doors and windows, brick carvings and other components, which are antique. The hall is quiet and quiet, showing the style of "big house" everywhere. In 2017, Wuben Hall was listed as a provincial cultural protection unit in Zhejiang Province.

Post by VictoriaMcDermott99 | Feb 17, 2025