Prince Gong's Mansion is Beijing's largest and therefore the best preserved Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) princely mansion and is found at Qianhai Xijie to the north of Shichahai. This fine example of ancient Chinese design with its cultural connotations is very important not just for its aesthetic price however as an asset to those that would like to review the approach to life of the privileged categories within the feudal society of a bygone era; it conjointly has a motivating history.
The mansion was made round the year 1777 and was originally the personal residence of Heshen. A member of the imperial guard, the handsome and intelligent twenty-five year recent Heshen came to the eye of the Qing Dynasty Emperor Qianlong (1736-1796). almost immediately Heshen was promoted to positions normally occupied by the foremost experienced officers, as well as those controlling finance and therefore the appointment of civil servants; therefore enabling him to accumulate nice wealth. The aging Qinglong did nothing to curb Heshen's corruption however his successor, Emperor Jiaqing (1796-1820), had Heshen executed and his property, that was assessed at over 800 million ounces of silver, was confiscated. The mansion was passed to Prince Qing in 1799.
Later, this mansion was bestowed upon Prince Gong by Emperor Xianfeng (1851 - 1862) hence the name "Prince Gong's Mansion" or "Prince Gong's Palace". Prince Gong is that the sixth son of the Guangxu emperor. At the age of twenty seven, he was left to sign the Convention of Peking in 1860, when the Qing royal family took an early summer vacation when British and French forces advanced on the capital.
The dwelling could be a ancient courtyard mansion of a mode that was thus common in imperial Beijing. The complicated covers a complete space of sixty,000 sq. meters (14.9 acres). simply over 1/2 this is often the residential portion, whereas the rest is dedicated to a decorative garden to the rear.
It is an area very deserve a visit and you'll be assured that each side puts the culture and life sort of the Imperial China's elite into perspective.
