The former residence where Zhou Enlai was born and spent his early childhood is preserved in the old Huai'an district, about a kilometre from the memorial hall. The compound is a well-maintained example of a late Qing-era merchant family home: multiple courtyards, traditional carved wooden interiors, and period furnishings that give a vivid sense of the educated gentry life Zhou was born into.
The visit complements the memorial hall: where the hall covers Zhou's public career, the former residence provides the domestic context, showing the specific world that shaped him before he became a revolutionary. The short walk between the two sites passes through an old neighbourhood that retains some of its historical character. Entry is free, and the combined visit takes two to three hours.