The Bangyan Mansion is located on Xiatang Street, and it was the former residence of Feng Guifen, a modern political commentator. The mansion, facing north and overlooking the Xu River, features a typical early Qing Dynasty Jiangnan residential garden architectural style with a layout of residence in front and garden in the back. Feng Guifen was the second-highest scholar in the imperial examination of the 20th year of the Daoguang Emperor (1840), hence the locals referred to his residence as ‘Bangyan Mansion’.
The Bangyan Mansion, with its residence-garden structure, covers an area of nearly ten acres and is a quintessential example of Qing Dynasty garden architecture. The ‘Three Sculptures of Jiangnan’ (brick carving, wood carving, and stone carving) are its main features. The garden area, centered around a pond, is adorned with pavilions, verandas, corridors, arbors, bridges, and yellow stone rockeries, creating a picturesque and poetic scene amidst the greenery.
Opening hours: The mansion is open all year round from 08:30 to 17:00.
Preferential policies: Children: Children aged 6 years old (inclusive) or under 1.4 meters (inclusive) in height enter for free with valid identification. Elderly: Elderly aged 70 years old (inclusive) and above enter for free with valid identification. Children/Elderly/Students: Minors aged between 6 years old (exclusive) and 18 years old (inclusive), full-time students at the undergraduate level and below, and elderly aged between 60 years old (inclusive) and 70 years old (exclusive) enjoy half-price tickets with valid identification. Active military personnel: Active military personnel and retired military officers of the People’s Republic of China enter for free with valid identification. Disabled individuals: Disabled individuals and one accompanying caregiver for severely disabled individuals enter for free with valid identification. Medical staff: Medical workers nationwide (including Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan) enter for free with valid identification (physician’s practice certificate or nurse’s practice certificate, plus their ID).
Additional information: For the ‘Encounter Suzhou – The Past of Mudu’ performance at Mudu Ancient Town, children under 1.4 meters in height enter for free, and those 1.4 meters and above should purchase adult tickets. Elderly, disabled, military personnel, retired officers, and students do not enjoy preferential treatment for this event. The above information is for reference only; please refer to the official announcements at the scenic spot for the most accurate details.
