Home of Yifei
The home of Yifei, built in a spacious courtyard close to the Twin Bridges (Shuangqiao) of Zhouzhuang, is divided into two parts. The eastern room is used to illustrate the paintings of Chen Yifei, while the western room serves as Chen’s studio.
The exhibition hall presents some precious manuscripts and daily necessities of Chen, as well as a collection of his oil paintings. The wall is decorated with a calligraphy work of Chen’s, reading “I Love Zhouzhuang.”
His favorite books, clothes, paintbrushes, canvases, a set of classic sofa, and the European style fireplace are all placed in their proper places. It is said that these articles were donated by Chen’s family to Zhouzhuang.
In 1982, Chen Yifei, young and in his prime, boarded a ferry that led him to Zhouzhuang. The picturesque landscape of the southern Yangtze River areas, such as bluestone alleys, small boats pulling out of the shore, and granny in coarse blue clothes, captivated his attention. Two years later, he revisited Zhouzhuang and found his bosom friend in the 400-year-old Twin Bridges.
The moment he saw Two Bridges, Chen Yifei was filled with inspiration. He captured all the angles of Two Bridges with his camera. Later, in his American studio, Chen made an oil painting work, Memory of my Hometown, entirely from these photos and his memories. Chen did not expect that with this excellent work, he helped to open the gate for Zhouzhuang to communicate with the other parts of the world.
