He Guizhi Residence

In 1564, during the Ming Dynasty, builders in Jianchuan raised the He Guizhi Residence at No. 51 Ximen Street. They packed local soil into heavy wooden molds to form the thick, rough rammed-earth walls. They raised a solid timber framework, capping it with small, cool grey clay tiles that have shielded the structure for centuries. Today, this single-courtyard home stands as a quiet anchor within the Ximen Street Ancient Architectural Complex.

The original heart of the compound remains preserved in the main hall and the facing room. The main hall rises two stories under a double-eaved suspended gable roof. It measures 10.85 meters wide and 6.45 meters deep, spanning three bays. On its wooden beams, the deep, chiseled grooves of carved cloud patterns show the steady hand of sixteenth-century carpenters. Across the courtyard, the single-story facing room spans three bays, measuring 11.5 meters wide and 5.45 meters deep under a single-eaved roof with a hidden loft. Here, the carpenters carved lions into the five-frame beams, leaving a tactile record of their artistry in the grain of the wood.

A heavy wooden plaque, measuring 2.5 meters wide and 0.8 meters high, hangs over the central doorway of this facing room. This physical artifact connects the home to a proud family history. Yang Xianfang, the Assistant Commissioner of the Jin-Cang Circuit, gifted this plaque to honor He Guizhi’s son, He Keji. He Keji rose from this quiet Yunnan courtyard to become an imperial inspector and Vice Minister of the Court of the Imperial Stud.

While modern hands rebuilt the entrance gate and side rooms, the core Ming-era structures endure. The scent of aged pine and the shadow of the overhanging eaves invite visitors to touch the ancient timber. This residence preserves the architectural traditions of the Bai people and the personal triumphs of a family that once walked these stone floors.