Yin Tu Tang: Chinese House Tours
| Venue: | Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) |
| Hours: | Hours Vary see below |
| Ages: | Kids, Teens, Adults |
| In/Outdoor: | Indoor |
| Cost: | $$ see below |
| Category: | Tours |
During the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), a prosperous merchant surnamed Huang built a stately sixteen-bedroom house in China’s southeastern Huizhou region, calling his home Yin Yu Tang.Yin Yu Tang was home to the Huang family for more than two hundred years until 1982 when the last descendants moved from the village.
The home was oriented in the village according to principles of feng shui to ensure a harmonious relationship with the landscape and was constructed according to local building traditions and customs. Coins were placed under structural columns to bring prosperity to the home’s inhabitants.
Enter the Huang family ancestral home to gain a rare perspective on Chinese art, architecture, and culture.
About the Architecture
The first floor bedrooms have intricately carved lattice windows that look out onto two fish pools in the central courtyard. These details tell as much about the aspirations, identity, and creative expression of the Huang family as they do about the architectural heritage of the region.
The family’s well-documented genealogy and the accumulation of furnishings passed down through eight generations offer the opportunity to understand historical changes in China as they affect individuals in their daily lives and cultures on a global scale.
With the museum’s already extensive collections of Asian art and period architecture, the acquisition of Yin Yu Tang provides unrivaled opportunities to explore the artistic and cultural heritage of rural China and the multi-faceted, often surprising, connections between Asia and America.
Tours
Yin Yu Tang is available for scheduled self-guided, audio, and docent-led tours. Ask admissions staff for times and availability. The frequency and size of tours are limited to optimize visitor experience and protect the historic structure. Tour Yin Yu Tang online.
The Website winner of interactive design, online exhibition, and education awards uniquely illustrates the richness of the region’s artistic and cultural heritage and the story of the Huang family through original audio and video clips, photographs, and text.
| HOURS | ↑ top |
Museum is open Thursdays, Saturdays & Sundays 10 am–5 pm, Fridays 10 am-7 pm and holiday Mondays.
| COST | ↑ top |
Adults $20, seniors (65 and over) $18, students (with ID) $12, youth (16 and under) and Salem residents free (does not apply to student tour groups). Tours are free with museum admission. Tickets are required. Same-day timed tickets to Yin Yu Tang may be reserved at the admissions desk.
| WEBSITE | ↑ top |
| LOCATION | ↑ top |
East India Square, Salem, MA, 01970 map
Phone: 978-745-9500
| RELATED LINKS | ↑ top |
Info changes frequently. We cannot warrant it. Verify with Yin Tu Tang: Chinese House Tours before making the trek. If you find an error, please report it...