The grandest of Nanxun's wealthy merchant homes looks like a classic Chinese manor, with ornate carvings in wood, stone and brick – until you reach deep into the interior, which hides a European-style ballroom, complete with crown moulding, crystal chandelier and brocade drapery. Other European touches draw on both Renaissance and baroque styles. The combined effect is both fascinating and bizarre, a well-preserved portrait of the cultural exchange between China and the West at the turn of the last century.
Zhangshiming's Former Residence
Zhejiang
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
0.64 MILES
Oddly overlooked by most visitors, this 400m stretch of 100 (or so) wooden row houses, flanking a narrow canal, is Nanxun's most charming spot. The…
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29.84 MILES
Near Fu’an Bridge, this residence of the Shen clan is a lavish piece of Qing-style architecture boasting three halls and more than 100 rooms. The first…
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9.05 MILES
Opened in 2015, the imposing white slabs of this gallery couldn't be more in contrast to the black timber houses of the surrounding Xizha scenic area of…
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27.01 MILES
A one-kilometre walk north of the old town, Lingyan Mountain, the ‘Cliff of the Spirits’, was once the site of a palace where Emperor Qianlong stayed…
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29.86 MILES
To the south of the Twin Bridges, this beautiful 60-room, three-hall structure was built in the Ming era and bought by the Zhang clan in early Qing times…
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26.5 MILES
Perhaps the most interesting place in Mudu is this villa, with its elaborate opera stage, exhibits and even an imperial pier where Emperor Qianlong docked…
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26.49 MILES
This beautiful complex in the northwest corner of the village is the highlight of the town, dating to the Ming dynasty. It was once the home of a former…
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26.38 MILES
With a rich collection of antique furniture and intricate carvings of stone, wood and brick (it often serves as a movie set), this dignified complex was…
Nearby Zhejiang attractions
0.07 MILES
Nicknamed the red house, this intriguing two-faced structure has a traditional Chinese front house and a back one of red brick. It contains baroque-style…
0.18 MILES
This lived-in Southern Song dynasty water town has unique architecture that fuses Chinese and European styles. With fewer visitors than other canal-filled…
0.34 MILES
Nanxun's most famous attraction is this sprawling villa, though its best feature only shines in summer, when the lotus flowers in the courtyard pond…
0.64 MILES
Oddly overlooked by most visitors, this 400m stretch of 100 (or so) wooden row houses, flanking a narrow canal, is Nanxun's most charming spot. The…
8.72 MILES
This seven-storey pagoda is a beacon at the far western end of the Xizha scenic zone. You can climb up to the 3rd floor for excellent views over the Grand…
8.85 MILES
Singles and couples alike come here to win the favour of the god of love (who, interestingly, appears here as an old man) by lighting incense and tying…
9 MILES
The Xīzhà scenic zone is more spread out so feels less packed, even though visitors spend more time here. It is the more photogenic of the two scenic…
8. Chinese Footbinding Culture Museum
9 MILES
With plenty of English, this fascinating museum covers the thousand-year history of female foot-binding in China with examples of the shoes that…