Ningbo Wang Family Mansion

Ningbo Wang Family Mansion

The Wang Family Mansion, also known as the Wang Family Hall, is located on Shangjie Street in Hengxi. It faces Songshi Ridge and Tingxi Ridge across the village. The residence was initially built by Wang Quan (of the Anfang branch), a successful candidate in the imperial examinations during the Qianlong era of the Qing Dynasty, and expanded by his son Tianqi (of the Shengfang branch), a Court Councilor, and Tianmu (of the Xianfang branch), a Prefectural Advisor, along with their descendants.

The Wang Family Mansion is built along the river and structured with a front hall, central chamber, and rear hall, comprising three sections and three wings. The entire building is symmetrically laid out along a central axis, with 11 courtyards separating the middle section from the wings. The sides of the central hall are further divided by various wall gates. The surrounding walls of the central hall are constructed with thick stone foundations about four feet high, topped with bricks and tiles to a total height of 4 meters.

Upon entering the main gate, you will see the hall where the Wang family held celebrations for fortune, prosperity, longevity, and happiness. The threshold is about 40 centimeters high, making it both lofty and somewhat inconvenient to pass through. The hall is supported by fir wood pillars on both sides, featuring exquisitely painted beams and carved rafters. The space is enclosed by large hidden doors, which can be removed and reassembled into a stage when the family holds festive ceremonies, thus creating a more spacious area. Hanging inside the hall are large wooden plaques with gold characters on black backgrounds, inscribed with phrases such as "Poetry and Rituals Passed Down Through Generations" and "Farming and Scholarship Passed Down Through Generations." The walls are covered with commendation certificates awarded to family members for academic and military achievements.

On either side of the hall are two corresponding southern archways, in front of which lies a large open courtyard paved with bluestone slabs, surrounded by step stones made of large square rocks. The sides feature white plastered screen walls adorned with murals.

Walking along the passage formed by lanes and eaves corridors on both sides, you will see the second-section house, consisting of three rooms. The middle room serves as the ceremonial hall for funeral rites, housing ancestral tablets of past generations. The facade is composed of eight lattice windows, each carved with intricate woodwork depicting scenes such as Guan Yu undergoing surgery to treat an arrow wound and Yang Guifei drunkenly reclining — the figures are remarkably lifelike.

Between the second and third sections of the house are five levels of horse-head walls and screen walls, with corridor gates on the left and right that are interconnected and serve a fire-prevention function. The central hall boasts exquisite window carvings and grand, imposing architectural elements.