Mingqing style house in Shanghai

Author: Wu Yongfu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-08-01
Features: The existing Ming and Qing Dynasty buildings in Shanghai are not only concentrated in the old city area but also scattered across various towns and villages. Through the author's investigation, there are approximately over 100 such sites, many of which are the former residences of famous figures, including historical scholars, scientists, writers, and artists, as well as the mansions of high-ranking officials, such as "Zhuangyuan Lou" (Vice Chancellor's Tower), "Shangshu Ting" (Minister's Hall), and "Xunfu Fu" (Governor's Mansion"). Through the study of these famous former residences, the author has deepened his understanding of Shanghai's history, as these buildings are solidified history with a strong sense of inclusivity. After years of investigation, research, and photography, the author has compiled a collection of famous figures and grand residences from the Ming and Qing Dynasties in Shanghai. The book is richly illustrated and divided into eight chapters, each preceded by over 10,000 words of introduction, providing detailed accounts of the stories of famous figures in specific regions, the current state of the grand residences, as well as the author's travel experiences and research processes. As a pictorial record of Shanghai's cultural resource research, the book holds significant market value. Each grand residence featured in the collection bears witness to the vicissitudes of its former owners. The book also possesses considerable readability. This book covers over 100 residential buildings from the Ming and Qing Dynasties in Shanghai, selecting only the most notable or large-scale independent structures. Moreover, the author uses the term "chù" (a unit of measure), which is a vague concept, neither referring to a specific building nor a room, as some ancient communities had a collective structure that was difficult to count.