Ganxi's former residence is located in Qinhuai District, also known as Ganxi's mansion or Gan's compound, was built in the Jiaqing period of the Qing Dynasty, has a history of about 200 years, covers an area of nearly 10,000 square meters, is the largest private residence in China. Ganxi was a famous literati and bibliophile in Nanjing in the late Qing Dynasty, and his family was a big family in Nanjing, and his former residence was commonly known as "ninety-nine and a half rooms", which was a hall-style dwelling.

The former residence of Ganxi has experienced countless wars, although it has been damaged to a certain extent, but the overall building is well preserved, and it is a window to understand the life of the Nanjing family. The former residence of Ganxi has the unique characteristics of Nanjing, with a blue tile roof, white walls, supplemented by brown-red lacquer, forming the main tone of gray, white and brown buildings. Such hues and the green mountains and waters of the south of the Yangtze River together form a sense of peace and tranquility.

The house also has the characteristics of traditional structure, in front of today's high-rise apartments, there are few such houses full of family and patriarchal feeling, and the location, decoration, area, and shape of all kinds of houses have unified hierarchical regulations. Walking into the house is the No. 15 exhibition hall, the hall "Yougong Hall", the entrance hall, the hall, the inner hall, the master room, the Buddhist hall, the cave room, the boudoir, the study, etc. have restored the normal life of the late Qing Dynasty. No. 15 West Courtyard is a display of Nanjing's traditional wedding customs, and a large number of audience participation projects are also designed, such as: grasping the week, Lixia weighing, old toys, old games, and welcoming sedan chairs.

The former residence of Ganxi is also the Nanjing Folk Museum, which not only retains the past life of the Gan family, but also moves the folk culture of Nanjing here. Exhibition Hall 17 is now a folk skills exhibition area in Nanjing, where you can see Qinhuai lanterns, bamboo, wood carving, cloth art, paper-cutting, knots and other folk skills. In addition, there is also the Liyuan Yayun Teahouse in the former residence, which has Peking Opera, Kunqu Opera and Nanjing vernacular performances every weekend, attracting local ticket holders.

There are too many attractions in Nanjing that retain the traces of this history, but only the former residence of Ganxi is a place for tourists to experience the folk life of the past, and it is also the best choice to experience the tradition of Nanjing. And in the middle of the city, it is rare to see such a large number of private residential buildings.

Tips for Visiting:

Tickets: 20 RMB/person

Opening hours: 9:00-18:00 Open all year round