Former Residence of Wang Yuyang

The Former Residence of Wang Yuyang was constructed on the site of the West City Villa originally built by his great-grandfather Wang Zhiyuan, with construction completed in the 24th year of the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty (1685). Wang Yuyang passed away in the 50th year of the Kangxi reign (1711). Later, the West City Villa suffered a fire, and the Wang family gradually fell into decline. The property was subsequently purchased, renovated and expanded by Feng Guanru, a local salt merchant, hence its alternative name "Feng Family Garden".

When Xincheng was liberated in 1945, the Feng family abandoned the residence, which then fell into disrepair over the years. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the compound was allocated to the grain department and used as the Xincheng Grain Station. In 1992, it was designated a Provincial Key Cultural Relic Protection Unit of Shandong Province. In 1999, the Xincheng Grain Station handed over the main buildings of Wang Yuyang’s Former Residence to cultural authorities for management.

The residence adopts a layout of four successive courtyards, with the main gate situated at the southeast corner. Entering through the main gate and a secondary gate, visitors arrive at the South Flower Hall. The hall consists of three bays, fitted with wooden partition screens and stone steps. To its north stand a carved flower wall and a garden gate leading to the front courtyard. Further north lies the Transient Hall, accessed via five stone steps. Its front veranda spans five bays, supported by wooden pillars under curved eaves, with carved patterned doors and windows.

A paved corridor stretches forward from the hall, flanked by fish ponds and east & west wing rooms. A rear doorway of the hall leads to the back courtyard, where the principal hall stands slightly lower than the front hall, accompanied by side annexes on the east and west. The northernmost courtyard only contains a main hall. To the east of the main complex is the gate of the stable yard, which houses servant quarters and stables.

A doorway embedded in the flower wall on the southwest side opens to the west auxiliary courtyard. The front section of this auxiliary courtyard holds south and west chambers, while its rear section features a reception hall as the main building, followed by five principal chambers without side rooms. Its architectural style largely mirrors that of the main compound.

The westernmost area is a garden connected to the main courtyard by a path, filled with luxuriant trees and slender bamboo that bloom fragrant flowers all year round. Apart from the original garden of the West City Villa being occupied by later constructions and minor partial damage to a few structures, the overall layout and core buildings of Wang Yuyang’s Former Residence have been fully preserved to this day.