The Former Residence of Xue Fucheng in Wuxi reopens on July 1. [Photo/wxrb.com]

The Former Residence of Xue Fucheng, a 4A-level scenic area in Liangxi district, Wuxi, reopened on July 1.

The scenic area was closed for about a year to upgrade its security and fire safety systems and provide better protection for cultural relics.

The Former Residence of Xue Fucheng, also known as the Xue Family Garden, is the largest of its kind in Wuxi. The garden once belonged to the late Xue Fucheng, a famous ideologist and diplomat during the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). It was built in 1894 and covers an area of 21,000 square meters.

The residence integrates both Chinese and Western architectural styles and has an open plan design suitable for social interactions. As one of the most prominent large bureaucratic mansions in Chinese modern history, it has historic, research, and tourism value. The residence is considered the first grand mansion south of the Yangtze River.

The State Council named the residence an important cultural relic site under national protection in June 2001 and the National Tourism Administration rated it a 4A-level scenic area in December 2005.

It is possibly the best place south of the Yangtze River to experience water, courtyards, and opera in a garden setting.

The residence is now home to Wuxi's intangible culture heritage items. Refined embroidery, bamboo carvings, and Huishan clay figurines are a testament to Wuxi's special folk customs and cultural resources.