Yin Yu Tang - An Old House in America
Yin Yu Tang House was initially an old folk house situated in Huang village of Xiu Ning county in Huangshan city of Anhui province in China. It was built in Qing Dynasty by a merchant whose family name was Huang. It was a typical architecture dwelling from Huizhou Prefecture, occupying an area of 500 square feet with 16 bedrooms and central scroll, the storage facility, the courtyard and so on. Successively some eight generations of Huang family descendants had lived there. The owner named it Yin Yu Tang was with the wish to benefit his descendants.
In 1985, Ms. Nancy Berliner, Director of Chinese culture in Peabody Essex Museum, was engrossed in the research and propagation of Huizhou culture in China. She came to Xiu Ning county to review art history of China and had an originality to move Yin Yu Tang House to America for research and protection. With the help of the World Architecture Furniture Foundation and the Huangshan city government, Nancy Berliner made her originality into reality.
At the end of 1997, Yin Yu Tang House was torn down and transported to the United States by ship, and arrived Boston harbor in February 1998. In the next five years, the Chinese and American cultural relic experts, ancient construction technicians and specialized carpenters came from China rebuilt Yin Yu Tang House according to its original design. At the same time, the cultural relic experts also conducted the engineering research to its structure so to understand the ancient construction design tradition and techniques.
It took seven years for construction and cost 125 million US dollars. On June 21st 2003, Yin Yu Tang House was opened together with the enlarged Peabody Essex Museum to American public. It was warmly welcomed by the American people and various visitors from all over the world. |
