A Sniff of Chinese Subtropical Fragrance in New England By Lisa Li

A Sniff of Chinese Subtropical Fragrance in New England

            When I walked into Yin Yu Tang, my nose is filled with an oddly familiar fragrance, a scent of humid stonewall that only exists in the subtropical weather of Southern China. Yin Yu Tang was originally built in Anhui, a Southeastern province in China, by a local family named Huang. It was built in the late Qing Dynasty, when the American Revolutionary war was only over for around 20 years. After surviving the storms and floods in Southern China for 200 years and housing 8 generations of the Huang family, Yin Yu Tang was brought to the US and reassembled in Peabody Essex Museum in mid-1980s. A two-level house well-crafted with woods, limestone and marbles, Yin Yu Tang resembles the luxurious artistry of Ancient China. It is a historical landmark of the diplomatic relation between China and the US, and a great opportunity for Bostonians to emerge into the traditional Chinese culture.

            Walking into Yin Yu Tang, you are drawn immediately into the traditional culture and history of China. Stepping into the gate of the house, you may notice a wooden “step” under your feet. This “step” is the typical threshold of a traditional Chinese House. In the center of the house is a courtyard with limestone floor and two fish ponds. Standing in the courtyard, you can almost hear the Chinese women summoning the chicken into their pen, a house chore common for women in the 19^th to 20^th century. You walk into the reception hall across from the gate, where you see fruits and candles on the tables that are placed under the pictures of the Huang family’s ancestors hanging on the wall. This is where people worship their ancestors, a tradition that originated from Shang Dynasty, 17 B.C. You may also notice a portrait if Chairman Mao hanging on the wall next to the ancestor portrait. “Worshipping” chairman Mao is a practice required by chairman Mao himself in the 1960s during the Chinese Cultural Revolution. If you turn around, you will spot some doodles of Chinese characters on the wall where two traditional Chinese watercolor paintings were hung. The characters are odd in shapes and mean nothing when they’re put together, which implies that they are done by children who are just starting to write. The Yin Yu Tang, therefore, brings you on a time-travelling adventure in China, displaying the Chinese history and cultures through the perspectives of different generations.

            The architecture of Yin Yu Tang represents one of the most luxurious artistry in Ancient China. Please do not deny its beauty when you see its dull-colored stone floor and wooden windows. Colorful paints were not prominent in 200 years ago, and people at the time appreciated the beauty of nature more than artificial colorings. Also, since the house has survived for 200 years without renovation, the quality of the materials of the house deserves a round of applause. If you pay attention to the lower walls of the courtyard, you would see of dragons and phoenix carved delicately on the limestone. On the second level, there are wooden windows that open to the courtyard in the balconies. On the windows, different traditional Chinese patterns are carefully carved—floral, bamboos—you name it! The delicately crafted details of the house often bring awe to your face. Such artistry rarely survived after the Cultural Revolution in China in the 1960s, which is what makes the existence of Yin Yu Tang so precious.

            If you are not from China and do not recognize the cultural values behind Yin Yu Tang, it is totally fine. An audio guide is provided for anyone who needs help with understanding the cultural depth that Yin Yu Tang portrays. It introduces you to the history of the Huang family, the details of the house, and the functions of each room. With traditional Chinese music playing in the background, the audio guide emerges all your senses into Chinese culture, which is what makes this experience fascinating.

            If you are tired of seeing 3 feet of snow on the New England ground, come and breath in some subtropical scent of Yin Yu Tang. Take a walk through this scope of Chinese culture, where you will find infinite beauty in the traditional Chinese aesthetic values.