Prince Gong's Mansion

The mansion was built in 1777 for Heshen, an official who accumulated a fortune said to have rivalled the imperial treasury before he was forced to take his own life in 1799 and his property confiscated. It passed eventually to Prince Gong, brother of the Xianfeng Emperor, and survives as the most complete princely residence in Beijing: some thirty thousand square metres of halls, courtyards and a garden with rockeries, a theatre hall, covered walkways and a stone tablet carved with the character for happiness by the Kangxi Emperor, which visitors queue to touch. The layout of buildings and garden is often cited as an inspiration for the setting of the novel Dream of the Red Chamber.

History

The mansion was built in 1777 for Heshen, a favourite of the Qianlong Emperor who rose to be one of the richest officials at court; in 1799 the Jiaqing Emperor had him put to death for corruption and seized his property, and the house went to Prince Qing, Qianlong's youngest son. In 1850 the Xianfeng Emperor gave it to his brother Prince Gong, who moved in after repairs in 1852; in 1921 the prince's grandson Puwei mortgaged it to the Benedictines, who restored it for the Catholic Fu Jen University, and it was listed as a national protected site in 1982, opened to visitors in November 1996 and finished its renovation in August 2008 (Wikipedia, Prince Gong's Mansion).

What to look for

• The residential halls - the front courtyards of the princely mansion.
• The garden - rockeries, ponds, walkways and the Grand Theatre hall.
• The Kangxi happiness stele - the carved character in a rockery grotto.
• The scale - thirty thousand square metres of preserved estate.

When to go

April to May and September to October; the garden is at its best in spring and autumn. Tickets are capped daily and must be booked online in advance, as with most Beijing sites. Mornings are quieter.

Before you go

Advance online booking with passport details is required and same-day tickets are often unavailable. The site is crowded, particularly around the happiness stele. Much of the interior is reconstructed rather than original.

Nearby

Shichahai lakes are alongside; the Drum and Bell Towers lie east.

Key facts