A Virtual Tour of Ho Family Garden

Rockery Built Along the Wall

The boat hall was built in a boat shape because the owner once worked in the customs dealing with boat affairs almost every day. In this hall, ladies meet with the visitors. The waves made of erect tiles and cobblestones on the ground create an artistic conception that the boat is sailing on the ocean. Thanks to the casement windows in the walls, the beautiful scenery will come into your sight from each side of the hall. The couplet indicates that the owner wants to retire from the corrupt officialdom and live in solitude.

Reading Building

This is the tower of study. He shenghao, the eldest son of the owner studied here and now his test paper and a bulletin paper are exhibited here.

The red characters are written by cinnabar, and in the ancient time, emperors always instructed the memorial to the throne in red. In 1890, He Shenghao got the 9th of the imperial examination presided by the emperor and was awarded the Hanlin Bachelor of Hanlin Academy just like his grandfather.

Thanks to the corridor, visitors can enjoy the tour even when it is raining heavily.

Many Chinese historical period drama are captured here.

The fireplace and the wooden cask make the building a typical example by combing eastern and western construction styles.

The glass windows bring western architectural conception into traditional Chinese construction and makes the hall bright and vibrant.

The right part of the hall is divided into three parts which makes it like a maze.

The rockery is piled up by Taihu stones, and there are two rooms inside it. From Pian shi rockery house, we can feel the artistic attainments of Shi tao.

The four arts of ancient Chinese － zither, chess, literature and painting are hiding in this small hall by the water.

Literature: the Study

Zither: the beautiful sound of the spring water.

Painting: the natural picture of bamboo and rockery in the window.
Chess: A chess board made of hundred-years-old tree root.

Today Pianshi Rockery House is attracting tourists from across the world.

A big mirror is hanging on the wall in the rockery house. If you don't look carefully, you will easily think it's a window.

A "moon" reflected in the water.

Nanmu Hall, with more that 400 years' history, is the oldest in Ho Family Garden.

The ancestral hall is divided into two parts: Xiang Tang Hall (study, sharing and discipling) and Qin Tang Hall (ancestral worshiping).

Eleven regulations of Ho family are exhibited in Xiangtang Hall, and on the first day of every month, Ho’s children were ordered to learn these regulations here.

The next hall is called Qin Tang Hall. All the photos were donated by the descendants.

The photo on the left is Hejun, the owner’s father. Beside him is the owner’s mother. Owning to his excellent performance, the imperial court honored him as the first rank in the post and also bestowed his ancestors as the first rank officer. The photo on the right are He zhidao and his wife.

In the restoration of the Qingtang hall, a well was found inside it. According to the records, the dwellings of local people in the south of Anhui are equipped with wells on both sides, which are warm in winter and cool in summer. The well here plays an educational role that it is to remind people of drinking from the source.