In the lakeside village of Gusheng, the He Family Courtyard, known as Gusheng Dafu Di, stands as a monument to scholarship and civic duty. Built to honor a lineage of imperial scholars, this classical Bai residence preserves the legacy of He Jun, an eleventh-generation ancestor who earned his prestigious Jinshi degree in 1829. He Jun served as a magistrate in Guangxi, governing Lingchuan and Maping counties with a reputation for clean administration. The Qing court awarded him the titles of Fengzheng Dafu and Chaoyi Dafu, honors that gave this estate its name.

Step through the entrance gate, where the creaking wooden doors lead to a traditional courtyard layout. Above you, the red-and-gold lacquer of the wooden lintel plaque bears the characters "Dafu Di," written from right to left. Flanking the title, smaller carved columns record He Jun's official career. Beneath it, the gate beam carries the hand-carved inscription "Wende Wugong," celebrating literary virtue and military merit.

Inside, the cool surface of an original stone stele from 1852 reveals He Jun's philanthropy. In that year, he funded a public watermill powered by the rushing waters of the nearby Yangxi river. He directed its rental yields to a scholarship fund, supporting impoverished local students. The carved rules on this stone document a system of community education that outlived its founder.

He Jun died on official duty during rebellions in 1860. Today, his descendants continue to care for these walls. Outside, the family's historical presence is marked by stone flagpole bases, known as Yudui, and stone seals that symbolize academic success. The courtyard remains a quiet repository of Bai architecture, where the chisel marks on stone and the grain of old timber connect modern visitors to a century of intellectual ambition.