Visit Weng Tonghe’s former residence
Beilu/Pictures
It was already noon when we returned to Changshu City from Shajiabang Scenic Area, and we had a quick meal at a small shop on Shuyuan Road After lunch, we went to Weng Tonghe’s former residence.
The former residence is located at No. 2, Wengjia Lane Gate, Shuyuan Road. There is a stone archway "Zhuangyuanfang" at the entrance of the lane. This is an ancient mansion with typical Jiangnan architectural style.
Weng Tonghe is a pivotal figure in the history of the late Qing Dynasty. He was the imperial master of Tong and Guang dynasties. This house was purchased by Weng Tonghe's father, the great scholar Weng Xinchun, from a wealthy family named Zhong. Several generations of the Weng family lived here. Weng's descendants are all overseas and donated their former residence to the country. Part of the existing residential land was opened up and turned into an antique market.
Entering the gate, there are seven entrances along the central axis, including the foyer, sedan hall, Caiyi Hall, back hall building and Shuangguixuan. The spacious and tall Caiyi Hall is a Ming Dynasty building. It is the main hall of Weng's former residence. It is the place where the Weng family receives guests and conducts daily discussions. It is now a national key cultural protection unit. The Caiyi Hall is taken from the story of Lao Laizi "entertaining relatives with colorful clothes" in "Twenty-Four Filial Piety", which embodies the meaning of being an official for generations and filling the hall with colorful clothes.
The Weng family has a prosperous official career. Along with his father and brother Sanyuan Jidi, they were all high-ranking officials in the imperial court. Weng Tonghe passed the imperial examination and was awarded the title of Compiler by the Hanlin Academy, Minister of the Ministry of Household Affairs and the Ministry of War, and he was promoted to Prime Minister and Minister of Yamen of various countries.
Weng Tonghe was the main supporter of the Sino-Japanese Sino-Japanese Sino-Japanese Sino-Japanese War of Sino-Japanese War and an advocate and supporter of the Reform Movement of 1898. Therefore, he was repeatedly suppressed by Cixi, Li Hongzhang and others, and was eventually dismissed from his post and returned to his hometown. .
There are more than 100 paintings in Caiyi Hall, which are classics of Jiangnan color paintings. The couplet on the niche in Caiyi Hall reads: "There is nothing better than doing good deeds to support the family; reading is the best way to boost a family's reputation." This is a reflection of his family tradition.
On the east and west sides of Caiyi Hall, the Flower Hall and Siyong Hall, there are cultural relics such as Weng Tonghe's calligraphy and ink slips on display. The display cabinet displays Weng Tonghe's diary.
Weng Tonghe kept his promise that officials should be ethical throughout his life. He served as the Minister of the Ministry of Household Affairs and was in charge of the national finance for more than ten years. However, he still had no money and no spare money. In his later years, he still needed support from relatives, friends and disciples, and even sold paintings and calligraphy to survive.
Weng Tonghe has profound attainments in traditional calligraphy art and dominates the world.
20190412 Suzhou