[2024 Mengzi Attraction] Travel Guide for Zhou Family Old Residence (Updated Dec)
Historical Sites
Address:
武廟街旁
Opening times:
Open tomorrow at 09:30-12:00,13:30-17:00Closed Today
Mengzi Wangyun Museum (Zhou Family Residence)
Wangyun Museum is an old building located on the shore of Nanhu Lake in Mengzi. Originally the Zhou Family Residence, it was built in 1916 by local businessman Zhou Baizhai and is a representative work of the fusion of Chinese and Western architectural styles in southern Yunnan. In 1938, when the National Southwest Associated University moved to Mengzi, the Zhou family lent the residence to the university for use as a student dormitory. In 2013, the Zhou Family Residence was announced as a national key cultural relic protection unit. The museum has a large collection of ancient plaques and is the place with the most preserved antiquities among the exhibition halls around Nanhu Lake. It is worth a visit.
STEPHANIE THOMPSON
Let me show you what's inside the Zhou Family Mansion in Mengzi
The Zhou Family Mansion, this Zhou refers to the wealthy gentleman Zhou Bozhai at that time. His ancestors made their fortune by smelting tin, and by his generation, they had become extremely wealthy. Half of the houses in the entire city of Mengzi belonged to their family, and they also owned 30,000 acres of farmland. At that time, Mengzi was the earliest open port in Yunnan, and the inland areas of Yunnan and parts of Sichuan and Guizhou were all transshipped through Mengzi, with a very large volume of trade. The 'Shunchenghao' firm he founded with his brother Zhou Lizhai was one of the eight major firms in Yunnan at that time, and he was also the founder of the earliest bank in Yunnan, Fudian Bank.
In 1938, when he learned that the Southwest United University was coming to Mengzi, he generously lent out his 'Yilou' as a dormitory for female students. The original building was three stories high, but it became two stories after being attacked by Japanese artillery.
There are more than 1,000 plaques in the Zhou Family Mansion, covering topics such as passing the imperial examination, promotion, loyalty, filial piety, etiquette, marriage, death, marriage, birthday, childbirth, house building, relocation, inscription, etc. The fonts cover truth, grass, official script, seal script, running script, etc., and the materials include rosewood, iron pear, nanmu, jujube, elm, camphor, fir, stone, copper, etc. For example, the emperor's edict plaque, the prime minister's temple plaque, the champion's imperial examination plaque, the scholar's study plaque, etc.
On August 13, 2013, after the Zhou Family Mansion was renovated and displayed, and with the donation of most of the collections by Mr. Huang He and Mr. Huang Jin, it became the Wangyun Traditional Culture Museum.
Because there are few visitors, the exhibits in each room are not lit, and you can turn them on yourself and turn them off after viewing the exhibits.
🏡Attraction: Zhou Family Mansion (Wangyun Museum)
📍Location: Next to Wumiao Street, Mengzi City, Honghe Prefecture, Yunnan Province
⏰Time: Every Tuesday-Sunday 9:30-12:00, 13:30-17:00, closed on Monday (New Year's Day, May 1st, National Day, State Day, Spring Festival as usual)
🎫Ticket: Free