Former Residence of Joseph Rock

Former Residence of Joseph Rock (Chinese character: 洛克故居, Pinyin: Lùo Kè Gù Jū), the old China home for Joseph Rock--the Austria-American botanist and anthropologist, is tucked away in an isolated lane of Xuesong Village (Chinese character: 雪嵩村, Pinyin:Xúe Sōng Cūn) or Yu Hu Village (Chinese character: 玉湖村, Pinyin:Yù Hú Cūn) near Lijiang. This off-beaten-track old village becomes increasingly luring for tourists of exploring Rock stories and countryside beauty. And the expanding asphalt road and few rising fine buildings are constructed to cater to the tourism.

Unlike the Lijiang wood-earth architecture, the low-rise residences in Xuesong village are mainly rugged with stones-earth because the wood easily rots in the local earth. The area was covered by the sea and this village region was the first exposed and inhabited and thus full of creature and cultural sources. Maybe that is why Rock, the specimens collector, also began to focus on being a linguist on the fossil-old Naxi culture after he stepped on this wild land and made this oldest village as the base of his China exploration and discoveries for over 20 years.

Rock's residence, almost forgotten falling-down cottage, has been bought and renovated by a business man who paid to gather Rock's legacy items and a local old man voluntarily guides the residence visitor. The residence was built as its stoned neighbors and consists of three attached blocks. The east-facing block upstairs is located the Rock' living room where are set only basic facilities like the bed, table, firepot, lamp. The north-facing block is Rock's exhibition hall which displays Rock's photographs and his used items like the fur coat, sport gun, dentist tools, etc. The hall has also had some publications on sale for those want to deeper study this legendary man.

The Yu Lake (Chinese character: 玉湖, Pinyin:Yù Hú) with the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain reflection, nearby vast horse pasture dotted with the horses and echoing with herdsman's singing as well as the charity school--Yuhu Primary School and Community Center (Chinese character: 丽江玉湖完小, Pinyin: Lìjiāng Yù Hú Wán Xiáo) can contribute to a relaxing day tour.