Chen Cihong Former Residence

Located in Chenghai District, Shantou City, Chen Cihong Former Residence is a large-scale residential building complex built by Chen Cihong, a famous overseas Chinese industrialist and financier in Thailand, and his family (Chen Hongli family) in their hometown.

Introduction of Chen Cihong's Former Residence

Chen Cihong's Former Residence was started in the second year of Guangxu in the Qing Dynasty (1876) and lasted for nearly half a century. It covers an area of 25,400 square meters and has a building area of 16,800 square meters. It includes four courtyards: Shanjutang, Langzhongdi, Shoukangli, and Sanlushuzhai. There are 506 rooms in total. It is a typical modern residential building.

Typical characteristics of Chaoshan residential buildings
The former residence of Chen Cihong embodies the architectural features of Chaoshan residences. It retains the architectural style of Chaoshan residences such as “Xia Shanhu”, “Four Points of Gold”, and “Si Ma Tuo Che”, and imitates the classical Chinese palace-style architecture, which is magnificent, simple and elegant. On this basis, it also incorporates Western architectural art. The main hall of the residence is arranged in a “four-point gold” layout.  The side fire lanes (also known as “double-back swords”) are similar to the Beijing Forbidden City’s East and West Palace formats, divided into several small courtyards.     Each courtyard has a large courtyard and a small courtyard, plus stairs, sky bridges, corridors and roof sidewalks. They are both inside and outside, winding and confusing, like entering a gossip array. They are praised as “the small Forbidden City of Chaoshan” and are also hailed as the "first overseas Chinese mansion in Lingnan".

The combination of Chinese and Western architectural art
The residence is carved with beams and painted buildings, and there are also exquisite gold, wood and stone carvings by famous teachers and craftsmen. The building materials used in the residence gather the essence of China and foreign countries at that time. There are wall tiles with patterns of Southeast Asian countries’ customs, floor tiles, and only imported ceramic tiles with dozens of styles. These ceramic tiles have been around for nearly a hundred years, and the patterns and colors are still bright and new. Various types of doors and windows are decorated with plaster and glass, elegant and generous, magnificent; wood carvings and stone carvings mostly use flowers, birds, auspicious birds as content, expressing good wishes of auspiciousness, joy, wealth and beauty. In addition, the calligraphy stone carvings in the residence are all from the hands of famous artists at that time. They are priceless and are a “collection” of many calligraphers’ handwriting.

Main attractions of Chen Cihong’s former residence

Shoukangli: It belongs to Chen Cihong’s eldest son Chen Lixun. It was built from 1922 to 1930 and has 116 rooms of different sizes.

Sanlushuzhai: It is an annex building of Shoukangli. It has 30 rooms and was built at the same time as Shoukangli.

Langzhongdi: Langzhongdi belongs to Chen Cihong’s second son Chen Limei. It was built from 1910 to 1920 and has 158 rooms of different sizes.

Shanjutang: Shanjutang belongs to Chen Chong’s youngest son Chen Litong. It has 202 rooms of different sizes and is the largest and most well-preserved courtyard among all. It adopts the typical Chaozhou carriage as the main body, and integrates Chinese and Western architectural styles. The side rooms imitate the Beijing East and West Palace buildings, and the surrounding buildings are double-storey Western-style buildings.

In addition to preserving its original appearance, the mansion also adds some attractions that reflect the traditional folk culture and art of Chaozhou: Chen Cihong Family History Museum, Red-Headed Boat Sculpture, Chaozhou Opera Museum, Puppet Museum, Chaozhou Bride Room, Chaozhou Gongfu Tea House, Chaozhou Snack House, Painting Gallery, Micro-Carving Exhibition Hall, Chaozhou Craft Gift Shop, Ancient Kitchen Series, etc. There are also regular performances of Chenghai Animal Dance "Double Biting Goose". 

The grand and spectacular architectural scale, the combination of Chinese and Western architectural art, the ancient Chaoshan folk custom, and the elegant old customs, the former residence of Chen Cihong is a microcosm of Chaoshan culture and a tourist resort integrating tourism, sightseeing and academic research. It is a must-see place for visitors who want to experience the history and culture of Chaozhou and the overseas Chinese.

Travel Information

• Ticket Price: CNY 12 per person
• Transportation: You can take bus No. 103, and Chenghai No. 8 bus in Shantou City.