Wanshing Grand Mansion

Wanshing Grand Mansion

Wanshing Grand Mansion is a cultural heritage conservation unit of Jiangsu Province.

Wanshing Grand Mansion is located at No. 64-70, Beichengwai Street, Xinghua City. Originally built during the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty, it covers an area of nearly 4,000 square meters, with a construction area of 2,736 square meters. The entire complex was constructed from premium fir timber and large blue bricks. It includes seven courtyards of varying sizes, nine patios, 64 upper and lower floors of buildings, and 12 auxiliary single-story rooms, as well as nearly 100 other structures such as a watchtower and business storefronts. Viewed from above, the entire complex forms a “日” (sun) shape, featuring an exquisitely structured design with tall fireproof horse-head walls. The passageways between sections are interconnected, and the various-sized rooms—both bright and enclosed—are interwoven to provide functions such as theft and moisture prevention. Its architectural style incorporates characteristics from regions such as Huizhou, Guangdong, and Guangxi, embodying the pinnacle of contemporary storage and secure construction artistry. Today, only the west building and the central building remain.

The owner, Wang Zhiguang (circa 1701–1771), styled Fangyong and also known as Qiupu, was a native of Xinghua during the Qing Dynasty. He once served as the administrator of Cangwu Dao in Guangxi, attaining the official rank of fourth grade. After returning to his hometown during the Qianlong reign, he built Wanshing Grand Mansion on Beichengwai. The business operated successfully for over 200 years until ceasing operations with the Japanese invasion of Xinghua.

Since the 1990s, leaders and experts from China’s Ministry of Culture, the Jiangsu Provincial Department of Culture, and relevant departments in Taizhou have conducted multiple on-site inspections in Xinghua. They concluded that Wanshing Grand Mansion is one of the largest surviving pawnshop building complexes in China and serves as evidence of the development of Xinghua’s industrial, commercial, and financial sectors at the time. Qu Yanbin, a contemporary scholar of pawnshop history, wrote that Xinghua’s Wanshing Grand Mansion predates and surpasses in scale the world’s currently operating largest pawnshop, Montepío Piedad in Mexico.

In 2007, it was designated as a cultural heritage conservation unit by the Xinghua Municipal People’s Government; in 2011, it was listed as a cultural heritage conservation unit by the Jiangsu Provincial Government.

Further Reading:

· Seventh Batch of Cultural Heritage Conservation Units of Jiangsu Province