Prince Gong's  Mansion

The Prince Gong's Mansion (Chinese: 恭王府; Pinyin: Gōng Wáng Fǔ) is located in the west part of Beijing, China, north of the Shichahai Lake. It consists of a mansion and gardens. It is a favourite tourist spot in Beijing.

History

Prince Gong's Mansion has been constructed in 1777 for minister He Shen (和珅) during the Qianlong-reign in the late Qing Dynasty. From a young age, He Shen got the trust of Emperor Qianlong, and was able to make large promotion in the imperial administration. In this way he became very wealthy. Because of accusations of corruption, He Shen was executed and the mansion was confiscated in 1799, under the reign of Emperor Jiaqing in favor of Prince Qìng Jùnwáng (庆郡王), the 17^th and youngest son of Emperor Qianlong.

In 1851, Emperor Xianfeng assigned it to his brother Prince Gong. It is his name that is currently given to the compound.

In 1921 Prince Gong's grandson had to handover the property as a mortage to the Catholic Church. It was bought by the Furen Catholic University for use as a university buildings, and afterwards for the Beijing Normal University and then for the Chinese Music Academy. During the Cultural Revolution the building was used by the Beijing Airconditioning Factory. In the 1980s it had a new revival. In 1982 it has been declared Chinese National Cultural Heritage. Since November 1996 the buildings and the gardens have become a new publicly open scenic spot for tourists.

Structure of the compound

Prince Gong's Mansion is one of the most exquisite and best-preserved royal mansion in Beijing and used to house several families. It has a total area of 60,000 square meters.

The mansion buildings are located in the south; the gardens are in the north. The buildings include several siheyuan courtyards, but also two story buildings.

In addition to the buildings, there is a 28,000 square meter garden, with twenty scenic spots, pavilions, artificial hills including rock originating from the Taihu Lake in Jiangsu, and ponds.

There is a 8 meter long stele which has the character 福 (fú: good fortune), carved based on the calligraphy of Emperor Kangxi on it.

The mansion has been declared Chinese National Cultural Heritage.

Restoration Works

The gardens are open for tourists. In November 2006 restoration works started on the buildings. They will be reopened for tourists in 2008 as the Gong Wang Fu museum. It will display royal families live's aspects during the Qing Dynasty.

Prince Gong's Mansion is located near Shichahai Lake, to the northwest of the Forbidden City in Beijing. The private residence of He Shen, a favorite minister of Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), it was built in 1777. In 1851, the mansion was bestowed upon Prince Gong by Emperor Xianfeng (1851-1862), hence the name. Sole prince's mansion open to the public, it is the most well preserved mansion in Beijing.

  Two stone lions guard the main gate, and magnificent buildings stand to the fore of the mansion, with an elegant garden at the rear. On the wall of the main hall hangs a plaque inscribed with three characters "Bao Guang Shi" in the calligraphy of Emperor Xianfeng.

The buildings at the forefront of the mansion are on three axes, and apart from a two-story building consisting of ninety-nine and half rooms, all are in traditional style. Duofu Study is on the eastern axis, and its structure is in the Ming style. On each of the two side axes are four courtyards, the second courtyard on the western axis being strikingly spacious. In the third courtyard, called Xijin Studio, there is a seven-roomed, exquisitely furnished hall. All the beams and pillars are made of nanmu, and its sandalwood partitions are reminiscent of those found in Ningshou Palace in the Forbidden City. Between the buildings and the rear garden there stands a 165-meter-long two-story building.

The garden in Prince Gong's Mansion is named Cuijin, meaning concentrated cream of the most beautiful flowers, and to this day it lives up to its name. The garden covers 28,000 square meters, and is surrounded by man-made hills on four sides. The main peak, constructed from Taihu rocks, is in the north. The garden has an arched stone gate in typical Western architectural style, and upon entering the garden, one can see the five-meter high Dule Peak, which is a rock procured from Lake Tai in southern China. Behind it is the Bat Pond (Bat is a homonym of happiness in Chinese). Beyond the pond stands the Anshan Hall and opposite, at the center of the garden, is a hill bearing a stone tablet inscribed with the Chinese character "fu" (happiness) in the calligraphy of Emperor Kangxi (1662-1723). Behind the hill are masterpieces of garden architecture, with more than 20 scenic spots. In addition to its artificial hill, trees, flowers, pavilions and terraces, the garden also contains the unique feature of its own theater.

This theater is lofty and spacious, with subtle lighting, and on its walls Chinese wisteria and green leaves are painted, giving the audience the feeling they are sitting beneath trellises. The floor is paved in pseudo-gold brick, and the seats consist of old-fashioned wooden armchairs furnished with square tables. The performers and the audience are in close proximity, so there is no need for audio amplifying equipment. Here, people can enjoy kunqu, Peking Opera and imperial music, a unique experience full of Qing historical significance.

  To help visitors gain a better understanding of the culture attaching to the mansion, the administration of Prince Gong's Mansion has converted Bat Hall into a teahouse. The visitors' program includes a full tour of the mansion, tea drinking, observing the exquisite art of the tea ceremony, sampling Beijing style titbits, and enjoying folklore performances, all of which evoke an enthusiastic response. There is also an exhibition of the history of the Qing Dynasty, including replicas and photos of cultural relics. The exhibits date from 1616, when the Qing Dynasty was founded, to 1912, when the last emperor, Puyi, abdicated.

Further Information:

Address: A14, Liuyin Street, Xicheng District, Beijing. Take Trolley Bus 111, 107, or 108 and Bus 13, 701, or 823, and get off at Beihai Houmen stop.

Open: 8：30 -- 17：00 

Admission: 20 yuan

Tel: 8610-66116053

Drum Tower and Bell Tower

Introduction of Prince Gong