[2025 Tianshui Attraction] Travel Guide for Hu ancient buildings (Updated Apr)

【Title: Traveling through 400 years! A complete guide to Tianshui's "North and South Houses", a dialogue through time and space of the national treasure-level Ming Dynasty official residence! 】 📌 **Highlights** 1️⃣ **Explore the official residence of the Ming Dynasty and experience the mystery of wood carving** Check out the rare Ming Dynasty official residences in the country - South House and North House, where the private residences of two generations of famous officials, father and son, face each other across the street. The gatehouse of the southern house "Fuxiandi" has intricate hanging flowers and wooden carvings, while the moon beam under the eaves of the northern house "Taichangdi" can be called the ceiling of the ancient building! You must see the clay sculpture No. 133 of the little monk "Oriental Smile" to experience the ultimate aesthetics of Ming Dynasty craftsmen. 2️⃣ **Underground secret passage wonders, unlock treasure legends** The "treasure cave" 114 meters underground in the South House leads directly to the North House. The blue brick tunnel from the Ming Dynasty hides a secret. The secret rooms on both sides once stored hundreds of boxes of gold and fine wine. The mystery remains unsolved to this day and is full of mystery! Only the brave ones must explore it, and a casual shot will give you the feeling of watching Tomb Robbers' Chronicles. 3️⃣ **Folk Museum, immersive travel** Thousands of Ming and Qing folk exhibits restore the life of officials: "The Female Generals of the Yang Family" is performed in the shadow theater, the purple bamboo in the study courtyard sets off the plaque "Qi Pu Ying Cai", the embroidered building has carved railings with plum, orchid, bamboo and chrysanthemum, and the ancient style photos take you back to the years of the boudoir in a second. 4️⃣ **Ancient trees and flowers, four-season limited aesthetics** The 700-year-old locust tree in the south house blocks out the sun, the 300-year-old wintersweet in the north house is fragrant in winter, the red flowers in Lingxiao Courtyard are like fire in June, and the summer lotus and koi play in the water in the back garden, making it a great background in all seasons. 🏨 **Accommodation recommendations** ▪️ **Hotels in Tianshui City**: Within walking distance to Fuxi Temple and Yuquan Temple, connecting cultural tours. ▪️ **Tianmu Hot Spring Resort**: Soak in selenium-rich hot springs to relieve fatigue from hiking, and enjoy the mountain view from the window. 🍜 **Must-eat food** Malatang with buckwheat jelly "Gua Gua" is spicy and refreshing; Wen Tang Street's "Selenium Health Banquet" is cooked with ancient well water, which is fresh and unique. 🚗 **Traffic Tips** Take the high-speed rail to Tianshui Station, and then take bus No. 1/5/6 directly to the destination; tickets are free (exchange tickets with mainland China ID card), and it is recommended to avoid the peak of the temple fair on the 16th day of the first lunar month. ⚠️ **Notes** Wear non-slip shoes to deal with the slippery blue bricks. Flash lights are prohibited to protect the paintings. The tunnel is narrow and you need to bend over to pass through. During the peak season, it is recommended to enter the park before 9 am to avoid the crowds. 🌿 **Conclusion** "From Ming Dynasty woodcarvings to underground vaults, the houses in the north and south use red walls and secret passages to write half of the secret history of officials! Those who dare to challenge the 100-meter tunnel, raise your hands in the comment section!"

✅ Hu's Residence is located on Minzhu West Road, Qinzhou District, Tianshui City, Gansu Province. Built during the Wanli period of the Ming dynasty, it has a history of over 400 years. It is one of the few remaining Ming dynasty residential buildings in Tianshui City and the only remaining Ming dynasty official residence in Northwest China. 🌈 Hu's Residence covers an area of about 6,374 square meters, with a building area of 4,140 square meters. It consists of 15 courtyards and 9 single buildings. The overall layout is rigorous, with a clear hierarchy, and the courtyards are connected by corridors. In 2001, it was listed as a national key cultural relic protection unit by the State Council. 📍 Address: No. 117, Minzhu West Road, Qinzhou District, Tianshui City 📍 Opening hours: 8:30–17:30 (last entry at 17:00) 📍 Admission: Free

Winter is the perfect time to explore the unique charm of Lanzhou, Gannan, and Diebu in Gansu Province. This 8-day itinerary will take you on a journey through the stunning landscapes of Northwest China. / 🏃 Itinerary: Day 1: Gansu Provincial Museum -> Zhongshan Bridge -> Lanzhou Waterwheel Garden -> Baita Mountain Park Explore the history and nature of Lanzhou and experience its unique charm. Day 2: Maijishan Grottoes -> Maijishan Scenic Area Discover Buddhist art and admire the breathtaking scenery of Maijishan. Day 3: Hu's Ancient Residence -> Fuxi Temple Follow in the footsteps of ancient people and experience the rich cultural heritage. Day 4: Guan'egou -> Lazi Pass Battle Memorial Hall -> Lazi Pass Scenic Area -> Lazi Pass Battle Site A perfect blend of natural beauty and revolutionary history. Day 5: Zhagana -> Ruoergai Flower Lake Ecotourism Area Experience the tranquility and beauty of the plateau lakes. Day 6: Langmusi Town -> Anduo Hezuo Monastery Milarepa Buddha Pavilion Explore the mystery and solemnity of Tibetan Buddhism. Day 7: Labrang Monastery -> Sangke Grassland Experience the unique charm of Tibetan culture on the vast grassland. Day 8: End of the journey🔚, return home🏠 with unforgettable memories. / Recommended Attractions: 🌟 Gansu Provincial Museum 🌟🌟 Address: No. 3, Xijin West Road, Qilihe District, Lanzhou, Gansu Province Opening Hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm (closed on Mondays) Recommended Visit Duration: 3–4 hours The museum has a rich collection of Silk Road cultural and art exhibits, taking you on a journey through history. 🏞️ Zhagana 🏞️ Address: X412 (Niza Section), Diebu County, Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Gansu Province Opening Hours: All day Recommended Visit Duration: 1–2 days The stunning scenery and Tibetan wooden houses built along the mountains offer a chance to experience the simple rural life. 🙏 Maijishan Grottoes 🙏 Address: Maiji Town, Maiji District, Tianshui, Gansu Province Opening Hours: November 1 to March 31, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Recommended Visit Duration: 2–3 hours The Buddhist art and natural scenery complement each other, offering a glimpse into the cultural heritage of thousands of years. 🌳 Maijishan Scenic Area 🌳 Address: Maiji Village, Maiji Town, Maiji District, Tianshui, Gansu Province Opening Hours: 8:30 am to 5:00 pm (hours may vary by season) Recommended Visit Duration: 1–2 days The Maijishan Grottoes and the natural scenery of Xianrenya blend together, offering breathtaking views at every step. / 🎒 Travel Checklist: Lanzhou, Gannan, and Diebu in Gansu Province 🌄 👗 Clothing: Bring enough autumn and winter clothes, including a windbreaker, long pants, thermal underwear, and windproof and waterproof jackets and shoes to cope with the temperature difference between day and night. 🎩 Accessories: Hats, sunglasses, and sunscreen masks to protect your skin and eyes, and to add style! 📂 Documents: ID card, driver's license, and student ID (you might get a discount!). 🎒 Other Items: Sunscreen, moisturizer, water bottle, umbrella, and common medicines, especially those for altitude sickness. 📷 Photography Equipment: Camera, lens, and tripod to capture beautiful moments. Don't forget to bring enough memory cards and batteries! / Gannan is a place where every step offers a new view. Don't forget to leave your footprints in the mountains of Diebu and experience the unique Tibetan style!

The Tianshui Hu Family Ancient Residence (commonly known as the North and South House) is located on Minzhu West Road, Qinzhou District, Tianshui City, Gansu Province. It is adjacent to the Confucian Temple to the west and is one of the outstanding representatives of the existing Ming Dynasty residential buildings in Tianshui City. The residential area consists of two ancient building complexes, the South House and the North House, which are across the street from each other and have a history of more than 300 years. The architectural layout, structural form, roof ridge decorations, brick and wood carvings, etc. of the two ancient houses have high historical, artistic and scientific value. The founders of Nanzhaizi and Beizhaizi were Hu Laizhi and Hu Xin. Both father and son were famous officials in the Ming Dynasty, and were praised by the villagers as "father and son local sages." Since the Hu Family Residence was the private residence of Hu Laizhi and his son Hu Xin, its structure was basically constructed in the quadrangle style of traditional Chinese residences.

The Hushi Residence in Tianshui, commonly known as the South House, features a courtyard named Lingxiao Courtyard after the trumpet creeper. In the scorching summer, the century-old trumpet creeper blooms in the courtyard. Clusters of orange-red small trumpets adorn the lush green vines covering the walls. Amidst the blue bricks and black tiles, the green leaves and red flowers sway in the air, dancing with the wind, creating a vivid and eye-catching scene that leaves visitors in awe and admiration. The Hushi Residence consists of two ancient architectural complexes, the South House and the North House, facing each other across the street. Both were built during the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty, over 400 years ago. The architectural layout, structural forms, roof ridge decorations, and brick and wood carvings of the two ancient houses hold significant historical, artistic, and scientific value. It is not only a highly distinctive folk museum in the Northwest region but also recommended as an important stop on the study tour of ancient Ming and Qing residences. 📍Location: No. 93, Minzhu West Road, Qinzhou District, Tianshui City 🏝️Reservation Guide: You can scan the code on-site to make a reservation for entry 🚗Transportation Guide: Take bus line 1 from Tianshui South Station to the Department Store Station, then walk 400 meters to reach the destination. 💗Other Tips: Visiting hours are from 9:00 to 16:30, with the last entry at 16:00. Closed on Mondays.

🍱 Tianshui, Gansu, following Zibo barbecue and Harbin, is the first city to become popular this year. Tianshui spicy hot pot has frequently been trending, completely bursting into popularity. 👉 When visiting Tianshui, staying in Qinzhou District is the top choice. The ancient Qinzhou has a long history with many ancient residences. Hu's residence is one of them, a national key cultural relics protection unit. 🤳 First acquaintance: Hu's residence, also known as the North and South Houses, consists of the South House and the North House. They were the residences of Hu Laijin and Hu Xin, local gentry of the Ming Dynasty in Qinzhou. These two residences are the only ancient residential courtyards in Gansu Province with typical Ming Dynasty architectural style and are a distinctive folk museum in the northwest region. ✅ Main attractions: 1️⃣ The Ming Dynasty official residence with strong local characteristics. It is a typical 'one-slope water' residential construction method in Tianshui, Gansu, especially the ubiquitous carvings, which are super exquisite and photogenic. The unique charm of Hu's ancient residence lies in the fact that, while inheriting the simple elegance of ancient Qinzhou Han and Tang architecture, the earthen walls and ancient locust trees, wooden buildings and bamboo shadows also reflect the solemnity and rigor of northern residences. 2️⃣ Folk museum. The Tianshui Folk Museum, established based on this rigorously laid out Ming Dynasty courtyard complex with carved beams and painted rafters, is a showcase of northwestern folk customs. Especially in the six small quadrangle courtyards of the South House, there are exhibitions of various folk customs such as historical figures' calligraphy and paintings, shadow puppets, paper-cutting, root carving, embroidery, and walking sticks. The scale of the South House courtyard and the exhibition halls represent the essence of Tianshui's residential folk customs. 3️⃣ Outside the main gate of the South House, there are two thousand-year-old locust trees with straight trunks and an ancient and elegant shape, providing dense shade, and they are located right on the city's main thoroughfare, which is quite unique. 🎫 Ticket: Free admission. 📍 Address: No. 117, Democratic West Road, Qinzhou District, Tianshui City. The attractions within Qinzhou District are relatively concentrated, so it is recommended to walk to visit. ↪️ Recommended weekend 2-day tour route: Fuxi Temple—Tianshui Ancient City—Yuquan Temple—Hu's Residence—Nanguo Temple—Li Guang Tomb—Tianshui Industrial Museum—Hongwen Garden.

Although Tianshui has recently become popular due to its spicy Many babies go to Tianshui because of the spicy food. In fact, Tianshui is not only spicy and hot 🍲 There are so many places worth visiting 🟡There is a spicy hot line recently, ⬇️The high-speed rail can go directly to the core business district in the city center-Lantian Shopping Center, about an hour's drive 🗺️Two-day slow-paced tour guide: Day 1 (in Maiji District) 1️⃣ Xi'an North - Tianshui South Station, the high-speed train takes less than two hours to arrive. There are not many delicious foods outside the station, so just eat a little and leave. 2️⃣ Go to Maijishan Grottoes (bus or taxi) It is recommended to play for 2-3 hours), the ticket is 80+30 round-trip sightseeing bus, you can only choose one of the 2 routes, Route 1 will be a little higher, the scenery on both sides is different, there are many snacks and delicacies, and there is also affordable mineral water, which is very considerate. The grottoes are more protected, and the scenery above is great, 3️⃣Jingtu Temple, the architecture is really beautiful and the interior is also quite large. 4️⃣Xianren Cliff is under renovation, so I didn’t make it. I’ll go there next time… 5️⃣Take the bus back to Qinzhou District. The last bus to Jingtu Temple is at around 6 o'clock at the latest. Then go to the train station to transfer to the bus. It's quite far. At night, I would find a hot pot restaurant that was still open, stroll around the ancient city, take some yogurt, and feel the night scenery and the charm of the ancient city. Day 2 (Qinzhou District) 1️⃣ I live a few hundred meters away from Yusheng Lane. I get up early in the morning. The place is not very big. The local specialties such as Guagua, Ranran, crispy cakes, lard boxes, apricot tea... the prices are really touching. You have to try them all to make your morning full of energy. 2️⃣Hu's Ancient Residence (North and South House) is closed on Mondays. Inside, there are appearances that have been preserved for hundreds of years. It is a piece of pure land in the bustling city. It really has a strong cultural atmosphere and is also amazing to the past. Take a cup of "Fangha" sweet embryo milk tea with you, it's so comfortable 3️⃣Take a sightseeing bus from the Confucian Temple to the Fuxi Temple (the museum is closed on Mondays) + Yuquan Temple. There are many ancient trees, all of which are well protected. The first ancestor of humanities, China, is also particularly revered. The Little Potala Palace is very photogenic. The Yuquan Temple is also relatively large. Taoist culture is natural and has a long history. 4️⃣ I had a simple dinner, I wasn’t too hungry. Stay for half a day longer, just for the food, snacks, yogurt, sweet embryos, you have to try the spicy hot and fat fish. Huang Xuan just came, making the already popular place even more crowded. There are too many people in Haiying. The opposite Eden Garden is also good. There is no need to queue. The price-performance ratio is super high (the salt taste is better). The taste is also great. The fish is also spicy but not spicy. The taste is just right. Moreover, the road administration and cultural tourism are really awesome. The environment is really great. Tianshui is a city full of charm and characteristics, where delicious food and cultural landscapes coexist. After you come here, you will definitely be reluctant to leave and look forward to coming again next time!

Tianshui, Gansu 🎈, not only has passionate Malatang 🍲🍲! This place has more than 8,000 years of civilization👀, and the thickest loess in China is also here. Even the heads of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, Fuxi👴, Nuwa🧚, Li Guang💂, Li Bai🤠, and Li Shimin👑, are all from Gansu. Gansu is like an encyclopedia of Chinese history📕! ‼ ️⚠️Pay attention to the important points 🎯! ✅In addition to Malatang, Gansu also has world-famous cultural landscapes. The Maijishan Grottoes🗿, one of the four largest grottoes in China, dug on the cliff, must be seen with your own eyes👀! The 90-degree ancient plank road can only be passed up and down by a single person. Hundreds of grottoes are connected to each other by the sky plank road. They are stacked layer by layer, like a ladder in the mountains. From a distance, it looks like human fireworks in the Buddhist world🎇! ✅Tianshui does not have a subway. In addition to taking a taxi🚕, taking the bus🚌 or driving🚗, you can also experience taking a tram🚋. For only two yuan💰, you can enter the real and low-key Tianshui! ✅When you come to Tianshui, you don't have to go to "Hai Ying's House". The hand-made flour restaurant opposite his house is also very delicious😋. There are also Tianshui snacks such as ranran, guagua and hot pot, which are highly recommended by five stars🤩! ✅The Fuxi Temple, which costs ten yuan💰, is a must-visit. Here is the earliest and most complete painted icon of Fuxi preserved in China. Fuxi Temple is praised as the first temple in China. It is not only the birthplace of Fuxi, but also the origin of Fuxi culture. It is the real hometown of Emperor Xi👍! According to locals, the Fuxi Ceremony is held every year🎆! ✅ Known as the "No. 1 Luxury House in Gansu" and requiring no tickets, the Hu family's ancient residential building is definitely not to be missed! As the only existing Ming Dynasty official residence in the northwest region, it still retains its original appearance four hundred years ago! Its location is right in the center of Tianshui🤜! It has to be said that Tianshui, Gansu Province is indeed an underestimated city. The beauty of the Northwest is never limited, it is rough, warm, mysterious, gentle and passionate🔥, each of them is the most authentic Gansu Tianshui💦💦!

Dongjiayuan was originally a courtyard where the son-in-law of the Hu family lived! It later became the former residence of Dong Chenglie, a senior general of the Kuomintang. The courtyard was built in the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China, and is a two-entry four-courtyard. Its brick carvings, shadow walls, drooping flower doors, carved flowers, bucket space boards, and window lattices are extremely exquisite, representing the architecture of ancient residential courtyards in Tianshui in the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China. The courtyard is spacious and bright, with a quiet environment. The ground is paved with pebbles of different shades to form a walkway. There is a hundred-year-old palm tree in the courtyard. Dongjiayuan is connected to the mixed courtyard. Now the room displays exquisite Ming and Qing furniture and celebrity calligraphy and paintings. Dongjiayuan had an underground passage at that time, with a treasure cave inside, which was used for storing food and avoiding wars in the past. The treasure cave has two exits, one is Dongjiayuan, and the other is Zhilantang. These two exits can also lead to the North House across the street.