Fang Guoyu Former Residence 方国瑜故居

About Fang Guoyu Former Residence

Its layout includes principal courts with upper-level galleries, smaller study courts and a rear garden. These domestic spaces help connect the scholar’s work on Yunnan with the household setting in which his story is presented. Look at the old Shigongdi plaque above the entrance before moving through the courts; the building is as important to the visit as the biographical displays.

The upper and lower courtyards are connected by a passage with stone steps. Each has its own arrangement of three building wings facing a screen wall, known as the sanfang yi zhaobi (三坊一照壁) plan. Small gardens lie behind the eastern and western main buildings. A bronze statue of Fang Guoyu (方国瑜) stands in the central hall. The architecture combines Naxi domestic building traditions with Huizhou architectural style from central China. In 2012, the residence was listed as a Yunnan provincial cultural heritage site (云南省级文物保护单位).

What to look for

• Upper-level galleries turn the corners of the principal courtyard buildings.
• Smaller study courts and a rear garden reveal the residence’s successive domestic spaces.

Location & getting there

Getting to Fang Guoyu Former Residence

Go to the Fang Guoyu residence in Wenzhi Lane off Wuyi Street inside Lijiang Old Town. The official heritage-base address is Wenzhi Lane 32; finish the approach on the old town’s pedestrian lanes.