Home of Hu Xueyan

Hangzhou

Hu Xueyan (1823-1885) was a rich businessman of humble origins who performed charitable works and contributed funds to the city during the Taiping rebellion. His mansion (built 1873-1875) occupies a full block of the city; the garden, with its elegant classical pond, rocks, greenery, and pavilions, is shown here.

Mr. Hu was only able to enjoy his home for a few years; he went broke during a financial panic (1883-1884), and died impoverished the following year. After many vicissitudes during the 20th century, the house was restored in 1999 at a cost of almost 8.8 million dollars.