ZHUOJIANSIJITANGJIUDIAN(PINGJIANGLUZHUOZHENGYUANDIAN)

The ZHUOJIAN·Si Jitang boutique homestay, known as Pan House, was built during the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty. The Pan family, originally from Jiangxi, had been engaged in porcelain business in Suzhou and constructed this two-entrance, two-story building in the mid-Qing Dynasty. Before liberation, the descendants of the Pan family left mainland China, and the building was subsequently nationalized. Pan House faces west with two main routes and four courtyards, featuring a garden at the back. The second courtyard on the north route houses a grand hall that is 11.2 meters wide and 13.6 meters deep, with intricate carvings of theatrical scenes on its beams. A horizontal plaque inscribed 'Si Jitang' from the second year of the Xuantong era (1910) hangs above. The front has two side rooms, while the third courtyard features a flower basket hall with fine carvings, and the garden still contains a square pavilion and a boxthorn tree. Located within the Pingjiang Road-Zhuozheng Garden Historical and Cultural Conservation Area, it is adjacent to world heritage sites such as the Humble Administrator's Garden and the Lion Grove Garden, as well as the National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit, the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom's Zhongwang Mansion. Currently, it is a controlled protection building in Suzhou City. The ZHUOJIAN·Si Jitang boutique homestay and the Suzhou Amber Art Museum are situated here. Si Jitang, a century-old residence, is like a hidden gem buried deep in time. Time seems to slow down, distancing itself from the city's hustle and bustle, allowing people to fully relax, find a quiet corner, brew a cup of fragrant tea, savor it slowly, letting thoughts drift amidst the aroma, or pick up a book, sit under an ancient tree, and quietly read, enjoying that tranquility and comfort...