Introduction

The Mo Manor is located in the town of Pinghu in Jiaxing, south of Shanghai, boasting a history of more than 100 years. It was initially built in 1897 and took three years of careful construction to finish it. It is one of the top six renowned manors in south China, famed for its exquisite traditional construction style. The manor used to be the former residence of a famous merchant Mo Fangmei in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). It is now an important cultural and historical heritage site under state protection and also a famous tourist resort. The manor has witnessed the prosperity and falls of the family and also the country, and now has become a patriotism education base in Jiaxing.

Mo Manor accommodated the Mo family for centuries, containing over 70 living rooms in various sizes. It is surrounded by 6-meter-high fire walls, which was typical of the large timber-structure manor architectural style. It features strong late Qing Dynasty architecture and is famed for its luxury decoration, even titled “The Forbidden City of South China.”

There is a symmetrical arrangement of the main structures. The three poetic gardens, well-designed pools and alleys and elegantly carved beam eaves all manifest the characteristics of ancient Chinese construction. The Mo Manor boasts ancient furniture, calligraphy and paintings, household utensils and antiques, exquisite decorated roofs, elaborately designed sculptures and mural paintings.

Due to its distinctive artistic charm and unique features, the manor has attracted tens of thousands of visitors from China and abroad as well as numerous movie makers. In recent years, the manor became a natural film studio. More than thirty films and TV series have been shot here, such as A Dream of Red Mansions and Family.