Qiusu Li is the villa of Liu Chenggan, where JiaYeTang Book Collection Building is located, currently housing his art photography exhibition. Liu Chenggan, the head of the ‘Four Elephants’ of Nanxun in the late Qing Dynasty and a ‘wealthy third-generation,’ lived a life indifferent to wealth and took a detached approach to official careers. In his later years, his family’s fortune declined, yet he remained content, enjoying his own small world and paying no attention to the outside world. He always felt guilty about his family’s business and referred to himself as ‘Qiusu Jushi.’ He named his book collection in Shanghai ‘Qiusu Zhai,’ and thus his Nanxun villa became known as ‘Qiusu Li.’ Qiusu Li is another example of a Sino-Western architectural fusion in Nanxun. Upon entering, one finds a long corridor similar to those in Shanghai’s alleys, with a Western-style gate in the middle, inscribed with the words ‘Zhe Xi Xiao Yin.’ The gate’s top features several creatures resembling golden toads, which are said to be the trademark of the Liu family’s silk business. At the end of the corridor lies the Qiusu Li villa, situated in the garden. The first floor of the villa is a living room, adorned with an inscription by Wu Changshuo, one of the ‘Four Masters of the Late Qing Shanghai School.’ The main hall features a painting of Li Bai’s ‘Drinking Song,’ subtly displaying the owner’s determination not to seek wealth and his confidence that ‘Heaven must have a use for the talents I was born with.’ The second floor is the master bedroom, with a south-facing window offering a beautiful view, allowing one to enjoy the garden’s scenery up close and gaze at the Liu family’s Little Lotus Manor and Liu Chenggan’s own book collection building in the distance. There is a hidden attic on the second floor that is not easily noticeable; if you visit, don’t forget to look for it! The opening hours and business status are subject to the day’s opening conditions.
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