Porcelain House

The building was a French-style mansion of the 1920s until the collector Zhang Lianzhi bought it in 2000 and began covering it, using what he says are several million fragments of ancient porcelain, hundreds of thousands of ceramic shards, thousands of vases and plates, and lengths of stone carving and marble, applied to walls, roofs, columns, fences and interiors. Dragons made of ceramic pieces coil over the roof and the perimeter fence is built from porcelain vases. Opinions divide sharply between those who see a folk art achievement and those who see valuable antiques destroyed. Ownership disputes have closed it at times.

What you actually see

• The encrusted exterior - walls and roof covered in porcelain fragments.
• The ceramic dragons - figures built from shards across the roofline.
• The vase fence - the perimeter constructed from porcelain vessels.
• The interiors - rooms continuing the same treatment inside.

When to go

Year-round; it is a short visit and works in any weather. The house has closed periodically because of legal disputes over ownership, so confirming it is open before travelling is worthwhile.

Honest expectations

The house has been closed for extended periods due to litigation. Entry is charged and the visit takes under an hour. The claim that millions of genuine antique fragments were used is disputed, and some see the project as vandalism rather than art.

Nearby

The Five Great Avenues lie southwest; Tianjin railway station is north.