The Qing Dynasty Architectural Complex of Wula Street

The Qing Dynasty Architectural Complex of Wula Street

The Qing Dynasty Architectural Complex of Wula Street is a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level.

The Qing Dynasty Architectural Complex of Wula Street is located in Wulajie Manchu Town, Longtan District, Jilin City. The Second Songhua River flows westward past the town, which lies approximately 35 kilometers southeast of downtown Jilin. In 2013, it was designated as part of the seventh group of Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level by the State Council.

The complex consists of four parts: the Kui Mansion, the Hou Mansion, the Sa Mansion, and the Mosque.

The “Kui Mansion” is situated to the west of the Wulajie Town Government, fronting the main east-west thoroughfare of the town, Township Road 109. Built during the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty, it features a traditional two-courtyard, quadrangle layout. Its earliest owner was a man named Wang Kui (specific given name unknown), hence the name “Kui Mansion.” During the Guangxu period (1875), Wang Kui was sent to campaign in Ili, where he was commended by Emperor Guangxu, promoted to the rank of Vice Commander, and rewarded with gold and silver. He returned home in glory and built this residence. It was later sold to Zhang Maotang, who had served as the head of the waterborne police on the upper Songhua River under Zhang Zuoxiang’s command. After the liberation, the property was used as the Yongbei County Government, the Yongji County Agricultural Exhibition Hall, the site of the Wulajie People’s Commune, and the guesthouse of Wulajie Manchu Town. The main building, the central house, is aligned along the north-south central axis, with wing rooms symmetrically arranged on the east and west sides. On the south side facing the street is a three-bay reverse-facing structure, and the entrance gate is located in the southeast corner of the overall layout, flanked by one ear room on each side. The central gate is an arched gateway, with decorative screen walls in the shape of upward-curving wings on either side of the exterior wall. The facade, centered around the gate, is stepped in three levels. Both the central house and the wing rooms are built with grey bricks and tiles, featuring flush gable roofs, raised-beam construction, and wooden bracket sets. The eaves extend forward and the tails backward, with precisely jointed bricks showing fine craftsmanship. Beautiful brick and stone carvings adorn the base and corners. The connecting “corridor” between the central house and the wing rooms remains relatively well-preserved to this day.

The “Hou Mansion” is located in the northeast corner of Wulajie Town, now south of Yongkang Road, about 300 meters southwest of the town government. Also built during the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty, it was the private residence of Yunsheng, a third-rank assistant commander who managed the Dacheng Wula region. As the town also had an “East Mansion” and a “Front Mansion,” and Yunsheng’s residence was situated behind these two official offices, it became known as the “Hou Mansion.” In the sixth year of the Guangxu reign (1880), after Yunsheng took office as the Wula Commander, he began constructing the mansion, which was completed in the 24th year of Guangxu (1898). After the Xinhai Revolution, the “Hou Mansion” gradually declined. Though it still retained some splendor in the early Republican period, by the time of the puppet Manchukuo regime, only a single quadrangle courtyard remained. Although guards still watched over the premises, the hundred-flower garden and the southern garden had long withered away, the surrounding walls were nearly collapsed, and the scene was one of desolation. It was later used as the Yongbei County Government, then repurposed as the “Four Modernizations Station” of Yongji County, the office of the county iron smelting plant, and the residences of teachers from the county normal school. Today, only the central house and the west wing room remain.

The “Sa Mansion” is located within the campus of Jilin No. 3 Middle School (formerly Yongji No. 3 Middle School). Originally constructed in the 20th year of the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty (1751), it was the private residence of Suozhu, the 13th commander (of fourth-rank) of the Dacheng Wula Command Office at the time, and features a typical early Qing Dynasty “two-courtyard, quadrangle” layout. In 1786, after Suozhu was transferred to become the Vice Commander of Jilin, the property was sold to others. Since it once belonged to a prominent figure known as Lord Sa, it is also called the Sa Mansion. The building covers an area of 500 square meters, with three rooms for the gatehouse, three rooms for the central house, and six rooms each for the east and west wing rooms. Compared to the late Qing period, there is a noticeable difference between its former luxury and its current simpler, more elegant style. The central house includes an inner chamber, partitioned with pine board walls and featuring a pine wood floor. It has upturned eaves and ridges, and dragon, white tiger, vermilion bird, and black tortoise ridge ornaments, all of which were destroyed during the Cultural Revolution. After the liberation, the “Sa Mansion” was continuously used as classrooms for Yongji No. 3 Middle School. After 2004, it came under the management and use of Jilin No. 49 Middle School, with partial minor renovations carried out over time, so the overall structure is relatively well preserved.

The Mosque is located 700 meters southwest of Wulajie Town Government, in the southwestern part of the town. Built in the 31st year of the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty (1692), it is the only remaining temple structure in Wulajie. Oriented west to east, the prayer hall is a rectangular, palace-style building, with five bays in the northern corridor, three bays in the southern corridor, and three bays in the facing hall. The plaque above the main hall is inscribed with the characters 德维教化 (“Virtue Nurtures Enlightenment”). The facing hall and the southern corridor have been demolished, but were rebuilt in 1984 with funding from the government. The northern corridor now serves as a lecture hall. Since its establishment, the mosque has been a place for Muslim religious activities. On major holidays, grand prayers, Friday worship services, and commemorative events are held here.

Wulajie Town: Wulajie is located within the Longtan District of Jilin City, Jilin Province, which is part of the national Spark Program密集 area. It lies in the upper reaches of the Songhua River, in the original alluvial plain section of the river. To the south lies Longtan Mountain, to the north it connects with Fenghuang Pavilion, to the west it borders the Songhua River, and to the east it leans against the various ranges of the Changbai Mountains. Covering an area of 188 square kilometers, it is a piece of prime land rich in mineral resources and with well-developed agriculture.

Once an ancient city, now a town, Wulajie is a long-established cultural hub of Dongbei (Northeast China) on the banks of the Songhua River. As far back as five thousand years ago in the Neolithic Age, the ancestors of the Manchu people—the Sushen—lived, worked, and thrived in this mountain-and-water blessed place... More detailed information about Wulajie Town++

Further Reading:

· Seventh Batch of Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level