Step across the threshold of 20 Tiexiang on Yi'an Road, and your hands meet two weathered wooden door pins. These smooth, hand-carved fixtures, set beneath a rare wooden architrave, guard the entrance to the Chen Residence. Built in the late Ming dynasty, this structure breathes the history of the Qiuxi Chen family. The original owner, Chen Yanyu, a Chongzhen-era scholar and magistrate, returned here after quelling rebellions in Guangxi. Within these rammed earth and plaster walls, he composed poetry that earned his lineage the title of "Linghai Wenxian"—a recognized authority in regional literature.

The architecture pulls the eye inward through a deep, three-courtyard layout. Sunlight catches the gold lacquer wood carvings framing the structural beams, a classic expression of the local "Si Dian Jin" or "Sima Tuoche" design. Above, a hard mountain roof heavy with grey tiles shelters courtyards adorned with porcelain inlay and colorful murals. Generations of scholars paced these stone floors, their footsteps echoing against the masonry as they prepared for imperial examinations.

It survives through the careful hands of modern artisans engaged in the city's "Hundred Houses Restoration" initiative. These workers apply an urban renewal philosophy known as "padded embroidery." Borrowing from traditional needlework, they meticulously repair the second and third courtyards, enhancing the spatial depth without erasing the patina of time. They stabilize the timber frames and patch the grey sculpture work while descendants of the Chen family continue to maintain their connection to the site. The kiln-fired porcelain shards and centuries-old timber remain intact. The Chen Residence holds the quiet persistence of Chaozhou’s literary soul, preserved in wood, stone, and memory.