After a year of restoration and decoration, Ji Xiaolan's former residence, situated at No. 241 West Street, Zhushikou, is now open to the public, for free. Its neighbor, the Jinyang restaurant, has also made alterations for customers visiting the still and silent place offering scenery of crab apple trees and pea vines and installing a craved girder, painted ridgepole and winding path.
Ji Xiaolan, a legendary character in China, is widely regarded as the greatest Chinese scholar of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). He lived during the reign of Qian Long and was responsible for the biggest literary project in the history of China at that time, Siku Quanshu (Complete Works of Chinese Classics). The literary project took decades to complete millions of books. Many stories and myths about Ji continue to be handed down to this very day.
The 570-squaremeter house with two yards faces north. In the yard is a well-protected pea vine (wisteria), which is said to be planted by Ji Xiaolan himself. Guang'an Street's otherwise straight road changes direction between Hufang Bridge and Zhushikou to preserve Ji Xiaolan's former residence and the hundred year old brand Deshoutang.
In October 2000, shortly after Guang'an Street opened to traffic, the Xuanwu district government moved the Jinyang restaurant out of Ji Xiaolan's former residence and began restoration under the supervision of the Beijing Relics Bureau, renewing the "Yuewei thatched abode."
The restoration project was designed by the Beijing Relics Protection Institute and carried out by the Beijing Ancient Project Company. The whole project required 1.5 million yuan (about US$181,442) of investment.
(China.org.cn by Chen Lin, December 4, 2002)
