Prince Gong Mansion

Prince Gong's Mansion was given to Prince Gong by the Xianfeng emperor in 1851. But he was not the original occupant. The mansion was constructed in 1777 for infamously corrupt minister He Shen (和珅) during the reign of Qianlong. He Shen was the emperors trusted minister (possibly his lover), yet he also embezzled a fortune which he stored in this residence. After Qianlong’s death, the corruption was revealed and He Shen was executed. Upon seizure of the mansion, officials were stunned by the scale of the corruption, finding huge stores on gold and silver ingots on the premises.

The mansion was given to Prince Qìng Jùnwáng (庆郡王), the 17th and youngest son of Emperor Qianlong in 1799. After Prince Gong received the mansion in 1851, it stayed with his family until 1921. It was bought by Furen Catholic University and was used for academic purposes by the catholic college and later Beijing Normal University and the Chinese Music Academy. During the Cultural Revolution the mansion was used as an air - conditioner factory. In 1982 it was declared a cultural heritage and in 1996 it opened its doors to tourists. It remains one of the best preserved and most touristed mansions in Beijing.

Prince Gong's Mansion is huge and includes several siheyuan courtyards and a two story structure. The mansion is reputed to have ninety-nine and half rooms. Unfortunately when we visited the entire mansion was being renovated for the 2008 Olympic tourism rush. We’ll update this page as soon as the mansion reopens!

In addition to the mansion, there is a 28,000 square meter garden, with pavilions, artificial hills and ponds. The most striking feature of the garden is the porous rock formations. These are highly prized Taihu Lake rocks and they can be found in most of the traditional gardens in China.

Some believe that the garden is the inspiration for Jia Baoyu’s garden in Dream of the Red Chamber (one of the four classics of Chinese literature). In fact, it is more likely that the garden was made to imitate the Jia's garden by owners who were fans of the novel. Either way, its connection with Dream of the Red Chamber makes it an important site on any Chinese tour schedule.

The garden is gorgeous and if you get there early enough you might find a quite corner to contemplate your surroundings. Unfortunately, most of the time the garden is overrun by hordes of group tours and there are no quiet corners to be found. The megaphones of overzealous guides and long lines ruin the atmosphere for us. Although not as historical or large, the Guo Morou Residence provides much more serene environs to take in a garden. Our suggestion is to go early or skip Prince Gong - at least until the mansion reopens in 2008.

There is an opera and a tea house on the grounds but both are geared towards tour groups and are more tourist trap than culturally enriching experiences. The exception is the occasional opera performance put on in the evenings in summer. Check with That’s Beijing or other English magazines when you arrive to find out if you can catch one during your v

Getting There

Prince Gong's Mansion can be difficult to find. It is not really close to any subway and is best gotten to by bike. It is near the Guo Morou Residence, Houhai Lake District and Behai Park. There are signs for it near Guo Morou's Residence or just follow the tour buses and flocks of flag waiving tour groups to find it.