Dongyang Shijiazhuang Flower Hall, a full house of carved Republican mansion

Shijiazhuang Flower Hall, located in Shijiazhuang Village, Weishan Town, Dongyang City, Zhejiang Province, is known as the "First Flower Hall in Jiangnan". Shijiazhuang Flower Hall was built in the first year of Xuantong in the Qing Dynasty (1909) and was completed in the fourth year of the Republic of China (1915). The whole house is intricately decorated, decorated with a large number of exquisite wood carvings, and integrates traditional crafts such as stone carvings, pile sculptures, and murals. It can be called the pinnacle of Dongyang wood carving and architecture during the Republic of China. This is a one-hall three-hall structure, 34.5 meters wide, 21.6 meters deep, covering an area of 745 square meters. It is composed of a mirror wall, three rooms in the main hall, and five rooms in the east and west wing rooms. It is symmetrical and is a typical thirteen-room head residence in the Dongyang area. This Republican mansion hidden in the countryside also has an inspirational story behind it. The owner of the flower hall, Ye Zhangchao, lost his father when he was young and his family was poor. Once in his uncle's mansion, he hugged the pillar and looked at the eaves. His uncle joked with him: "Little ghost, don't look east and west, if you have the ability, you can also build a house with such thick pillars." Ye Zhangchao said at the time that he would build a bigger house when he grew up. Later, Ye Zhangchao devoted himself to the ham business, set up a business in Shanghai and Nanjing, and became the richest man in Shijiazhuang. So, he decided to build a mansion full of carvings. Because of the war, the construction industry was very depressed, many craftsmen had no work to take, and they encountered years of drought, and the villagers were hungry and cold. But the Ye family had a lot of food. All kinds of craftsmen involved in the construction of the flower hall can bring their families to eat, without charging for meals, and without paying for work, the work only seeks good and not fast. More than 50 craftsmen, led by "Carving Flower Probe Flower" Lu Lianshui, meticulously carved here for more than three years. Compared with Huangshan Bamen Hall in Yiwu, the two have many things in common: First, they are both national key cultural relics protection units. Second, the wood carvings are exquisite and gorgeous, representing the pinnacle of Dongyang wood carving in the Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China. Third, the homeowners are all ham merchants. But Huangshan Bamen Hall is held in the palm of Yiwu people, with many security guards taking care of it every day, and tourists are strictly forbidden to take pictures. Shijiazhuang Flower Hall is kept in the boudoir by Dongyang people, the main door is usually closed, only a side door is slightly open, and there is no one inside and outside the house. 📍Detailed address: Shijiazhuang Village, Weishan Town, Dongyang City, Zhejiang Province Ticket price: Free