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Architecture in Eastern File (Emolument)
The residence on the eastern file originally had five rows of houses from the front to the real. But later the front row paralleled with the former gate tower had been torn down. Now only three rows of houses are extant, each of them has three rooms, about ten meters wide. Behind the main room there was originally a kitchen, a firewood room and a well, but now they no longer exist. There are carved deer decorative patterns on doors, windows, attics, partition fans. So are the tile mouths of eaves. Deer and emolument are homophonic, so deer represents emolument. The ground is paved with square bricks, the padding layer of which is very particular. Turn over bowls with their bottoms up ward and then put bricks on them. There are two advantages: One is damp proof; the other is that when people walk on the ground, they make no noise.
Clean beauty-tall
It is the place where the Huangs received common guests and handled their daily routine. They thought that to be clean is beauty. Being an official, one should be incorruptible and one’s behavior should be stainless. These were what they sought after. Surrounding and protecting porches were built on three sides before the hall. The feature of hall framework and molding is the type of holding up beams. The shape seems simple but it is on ado elaborately. Besides the hall is 60or centimeters lower than the level ground outside southern gate. One may infer that the house is a remaining structure of the Ming dynasty because of its long history. The lower side of beam ends are carved with curves. The padded wood at ends are sculptured like good luck clouds. There are verandas with windows ahead and behind as its shape is like the mat roofing of a boat, it is called veranda with mat roofing of a boat in south and it is called rolling roofing in north. There is a screen door behind the major room in the hall and there stands wood sculptured cover falling to the ground between the two miner room. There are two couplets. One is that the only way to establish a family is either by ploughing or by reading; the only way to sustain one’s family property is to be industrious and thrifty in running a household. This is the cherished heritage of the Chinese people which embodies their conception of and attitude forwards life, but not it comes under the attack of western culture. The other can pelt scroll hung the screen door reads: Rain and snow add beauty and charm to bamboo and pine; flowers and wind make one have the feeling of being far from the bustle and hustle of the city. All this showed that the owner of the residence paid traditional culture its due homage. At the same time, it manifested his elegance as a man of letters and interpreted Huang Zhiyun’s double identities: a mtrchand and concurrently a man of letters.
Nanmu Hall
It is called Nanmu Hall because all the beams and pillars were made of phoebe nanmu. It has three rooms with two open corridors, the structure of which is particular. The framework of the hall is circular, adopting the type of holding up beams and the building materials are thick and solid. There are pitch arcs sculptured slightly at two ends of beams. The hall has verandas ahead and behind. Before interior decoration, partition boards with wood-carvings are set up first and then the screen door. The two minor rooms are covered with wood-carvings falling to the ground and the surrounding walls are wrapped with boards. The pillions in the hall are thick and straight and the pillar base is alum stone, looking like the heaven being circular and the earth square. Its stitch is simple and clear and its moulding succinct. In the center of the hall there stands three round surrey. It is regular, spacious, and tolerant displaying poise and refinement. There are mountain and water paintings of the Song dynasty and a couplet hang on the screen door. The couplet was written by Jin Nong, one of the eight eccentrics of Yangzhou, which reads: “Stop not drinking even when you are drunken, if you are literature-minded, you will feel as if you were wandering in a fairyland.” on the pillars reads: “A house with fine scenery around makes one happy all the year round. A bowel of thick soup is delicious because of reading.” The framework, pillars, beams and rafters in the hall are all circular, symbolizing “reunion”. Inscriptions on the massive pillar expressed their perception of life with the aid of wine and soup. It is evident that this is the place where banquets were held and the owner and his friends got together.
Kitchen
The last row of the house had rooms with two winged rooms. There were seven beams from the ridge to the eave end. Ribs were supported by a central pillar. It is one of the typical single unit styles of Yangzhou private residence. In order to let people understand directly the historical conditions, kitchen of the house was furnished in accordance with a traditional kitchen. There is a cauldron on an oven, food boxes, wine jars, benches and other furniture used in a kitchen. Standing in it, one may imagine the scene in which the looks and servants shuttled back and forth here. The salt merchants in the Qing dynasty were in hot parsult of table delicacies. It is said that Huang Zhiyun had edible swallow nest, ginseng soup and two eggs for his breakfast and his son always treated his friends with over ten kinds of light refreshment and porridge in the morning. For his being particular about his food, there are two stories which spread far and wide among the people.
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