Nanxun
Bordering Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Shanghai, Nanxun used to be a trading hub and spawned many millionaires. The wealthiest, the Liu family, like most of the rich in this town, made their fortune from dealing in silk, the major commodity in this part of the country. However, people flock to his house nowadays not because of the family's silk fortune, but because one of its ancestors spent a fortune building a private library of 600,000 volumes of books, including many rare ones.
Next to the library is a private garden called "Little Lotus", the only survivor of the 20 that flourished in the town's heyday. Built over 40 years, starting in the late 19th century, this garden was patterned after another one in the nearby county town, Huzhou.
Much of the architecture in the richest households has a Western influence, reflecting the fact they were foreign traders and exposed to Western culture. What is surprising is that the fusion of East and West is so harmonious that nothing seems out of place, neither the stained glass imported from France, nor the European-style hall for dancing. It was obvious the families did not want to flaunt their wealth, nor their Western connections. Everything was as restrained as the architectural style of this charming southern town.
Next to the library is a private garden called "Little Lotus", the only survivor of the 20 that flourished in the town's heyday. Built over 40 years, starting in the late 19th century, this garden was patterned after another one in the nearby county town, Huzhou.
Much of the architecture in the richest households has a Western influence, reflecting the fact they were foreign traders and exposed to Western culture. What is surprising is that the fusion of East and West is so harmonious that nothing seems out of place, neither the stained glass imported from France, nor the European-style hall for dancing. It was obvious the families did not want to flaunt their wealth, nor their Western connections. Everything was as restrained as the architectural style of this charming southern town.
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