Shiping No. 18 Xizheng Street Residence

Step into the quiet warmth of the He Family Courtyard, located at No. 18 Xizheng Street in the historic core of Shiping. Built during the Kangxi reign of the early Qing Dynasty, this south-facing compound covers 1,151.61 square meters. It is a classic four-sided courtyard, structured around a main house, east and west wing rooms, and an opposing entrance hall.

The residence carries the physical memory of its builder, the renowned early Qing physician He Zao. He Zao descended from three generations of doctors, beginning with his grandfather He Menglong. After selling his sprawling twenty-four-lightwell estate to the Luo family, He Zao constructed this new sanctuary. Here, his sons He Qiqian and He Qiwei studied. He Qiqian wrote geographic treatises and compiled literary works, while He Qiwei earned his provincial degree in 1699, later serving as a county magistrate in Zhejiang. He Qiqian’s son, He Lang, eventually achieved the prestigious metropolitan degree in 1721, entering the Hanlin Academy. Today, the family lineage remains unbroken within these walls. Ms. Feng, a seventy-year-old daughter-in-law of the He family, still resides here, maintaining the household.

The architecture itself bridges two eras. Because early Qing builders still relied on older techniques, the structure preserves the bold, simple, and generous style of the Ming Dynasty. Massive timber frames rest on solid stone pillar bases, supporting a double-eaved gable roof covered in weathered clay tiles. Overhead, the main beams feature a distinct drum-shaped cross-section. Craftsmen finished these beams with T-shaped brackets at both ends, leaving behind rustic, unpolished chisel marks. The wood carvings on the decorative screens, doors, and window lattices show a rugged, direct aesthetic.

In 2019, the provincial government recognized the residence as a protected cultural relic, preserving its brick walls and timber frames. It stands as a rare, surviving example of early Ming-style architecture in Yunnan, where the scent of aged wood and the cool touch of stone connect visitors directly to the generations of scholars and healers who walked these floors.