Wang Residence is situated at No. 14, Di Guan Dongquanmen Historical District. It is one of the best preserved residences of salt merchants between the late years of Qing Dynasty and the early years of the Republic of China.
Wang Residence has an orderly layout. There are three lines of houses, each consisting of three parts. The wing rooms on both sides are bilaterally symmetrical, reflecting the Golden Mean of Confucianism. The design of the parlor, wing-rooms and corridors; the hall, bedroom and side room—a miniature of the hierarchy in the family and the tendency of valuing men over women. The construction is odd-numbered, which reflects the awareness of the mysterious feng shui featuring odd numbers represent yang and even numbers represent yin.
The residence, with a balanced and inter-connected framework, has very good ventilation and daylight. Any part can stand on its own, and also can be part of a larger structure. It gives modern people an idea of what genuine salt merchants' large residence looks like. |
