During my visit to Chongqing, I traveled to the city’s most western district, Rongchang (荣昌). Unlike the big city, there are not many signs of modernity or luxury in Rongchang, it’s a mostly rural location. But one can find the remnants of a different spirit if they look deeply enough.

Nearby, I went to see a particular dilapidated house, and the neighborhood around it. What is interesting about this old house is that it was built by a distant family member of mine, maybe two or three generations before. It was erected as a sturdy, impressive home with a bit of European style incorporated (the original builder studied briefly in Europe in their youth). The house stood on a large plot of land, all of it presumably belonging to the wealthy family of the builder.

For whatever reason, we refer to this old home as the “Flower House”. My theory for the name is that it must have been rather colorful and ornate, and maybe complemented by some beautiful gardens, in its original state. I believe the owners were a family with strong roots in education. It certainly would have been a luxurious sight compared with its locale.

My dear Aunt, who accompanied me on my visit to Rongchang, also shared with me her own pictures of the Flower House taken in 2009. Thanks to her photos, I can create a little comparison to show the conditions after 15 years. Unfortunately, I don’t have any photos of the house or property when it was in use (but I will update this post if I ever obtain them).

While the house must have been quite grand while it was occupied, sometime around the time of the Cultural Revolution it was either abandoned or “redistributed”. Redistributing, my term and understanding of it at least, was a government practice during the time, of confiscating property from landowners, and giving it to local commoners. I believe the recipients of the land around the Flower House, and their descendants, are the people living here today. In any event, the wider grounds of the Flower House eventually became the living spaces for several new families.

What still stands of the main house is closed off now, as the former centerpiece building is in danger of collapse. That particular structure is still fairly recognizable, as much of the original structure and materials remain in place. While the extended parts of the property seem to be separately maintained by different residents, it’s worth also mentioning that there was some attempt to restore or preserve the main Flower House, though I’m not sure when that took place, and it seems that the effort was not terribly successful.

Regardless, the wider foundation of the property has spawned independent dwellings and structures all around it. Some of them probably are replacements, some are repairs, some may be extensions. It becomes rather confusing trying to decipher it all with just the eyes.

Around the Flower House is a standard rural backdrop and a cluster of active homes of much smaller stature. Though these homes are by no means extravagant, they are lively. Several folks arrive back to their homes as we are leaving, with full crop baskets with them. Visually, everything else besides the Flower House appears typical for a rural or countryside community. But in any case, the decaying structure of this Flower House remains an imposing shadow on its surroundings; it still looms over everything around it. A somber reminder of past power dynamics, or an enduring monument to ambition?

As the husk of the Flower House remains for the time being, the rest of the area and the people that reside here live on at their own pace. It is interesting to see how differently each living space is presented when one looks closely. A small reminder that life persists and grows almost anywhere, and that any given location can mean very different things for different people.

Rongchang and the communities around it do have more stories to tell. Not too far away from the Flower House is an “ancient town” that I plan to write on soon, as this particular ancient town also experienced an evolution of its own over the years.

I must thank and recognize my Aunt X. for taking me here. Without her aid and initiative, I would have never discovered this location.