"The First Luxury Residence in Jiangnan" — Wuxi • Former Residence of Xue Fucheng

The Former Residence of Xue Fucheng, also known as "Qinshi Di," is located at No. 152 Xueqian Street, Liangxi District, Wuxi City, Jiangsu Province. It was first built in 1890 (the 16th year of Emperor Guangxu's reign in the Qing Dynasty) and completed in 1894 (the 20th year of Guangxu's reign). It is reputed as "the first luxury residence in Jiangnan," and the old residents of Wuxi habitually call it "Xue Family Garden." The Former Residence of Xue Fucheng is grand in scale, covering an area of over 21,000 square meters with a building area of 5,600 square meters. More than 160 rooms of the original buildings are preserved. The architecture is divided into three routes: central, east, and west. The central route, from south to north, includes the screen wall, entrance hall, main hall, living hall, revolving building, and back garden; the east route includes the flower hall, stage, warehouse hall, and granary; the west route includes the side hall, miscellaneous rooms, and library. Among them, the central axis has four front courtyards with nine bays, and the inner courtyard revolving building has eleven bays. The architectural style is a blend of Chinese and Western elements. It is the largest existing revolving building in China, known as "the first revolving building in China," filling a gap in the history of modern Chinese architecture. The entire architectural complex is majestic and distinctive, reflecting the characteristics of the late Qing Dynasty when Western influences began to penetrate the East. In 2001, the Former Residence of Xue Fucheng was designated as a national key cultural relic protection unit by the State Council. Xue Fucheng (1838—1894), courtesy name Shuyun, sobriquet Yong'an, was a native of Wuxi, Jiangsu. He was a famous thinker, diplomat, one of the main leaders of the Self-Strengthening Movement, and a pioneer of capitalist industry and commerce in modern Chinese history. Former Residence of Xue Fucheng in Wuxi"