The Ge Mansion

The Ge Mansion

The Ge Mansion is a cultural heritage site protected by Anqing City.

The Ge Mansion is located in Shengli Group, Jiaowu Village, Shuihou Town. It was financed and built over seven years by Ge Xianzhong, Ge Chengying, and Ge Xianyi—the sons of Ge Gaozhi, a direct descendant of Ge Guancha, the founding ancestor of the Dunqiu Hall. Constructed during the Kangxi era of the Qing Dynasty, the mansion underwent two renovations in the 19th and 49th years of Kangxi to "honor the ancestors" following the success of male members of the hall in imperial examinations, attaining positions such as Jinshi (advanced scholars), zhishi (magistrates), and xiangzhi (local administrators). The central and rear halls display two plaques: “Virtuous Deeds Commended by the Township” and “Moral Integrity and Noble Virtue,” which were hung to celebrate the achievements of Jinshi and Dafu (senior officials). The rear hall also houses over a dozen ancestral tablets reflecting the genealogical lineage of the Ge family. This branch of the Dunqiu clan has been passed down to the 29th generation.

The sealed wall of the Ge Mansion stands out with distinctive features compared to similar structures in the region. The wall is 5 meters high and 8.8 meters wide; the brick surface is polished with diamond-patterned bas-reliefs, the dado painted with cloud-thunder motifs, and the eaves adorned with densely packed bas-relief bracket sets. Below the brackets, four round-carved “chrysanthemum heads” protrude from the wall, inscribed with the bold black characters “Observing the Legacy of the Guancha.” These elements highlight the highly advanced brick-making and firing techniques of the time. The central hall is spacious and bright, featuring six grand drum-shaped stone pillars in a palatial style, with decorations such as flowers and birds on their bases. Both brick and wooden components are adorned with Suzhou-style paintings and traditional Qing-era “three carvings” (carving in stone, wood, and brick), all exquisitely crafted and rich in symbolism. Small motifs such as flowers, birds, phoenixes, fish, landscapes, and figures reflect the owners’ aspirations for beauty, prosperity, wealth, and happiness, showcasing a refined cultural taste.

The southern side of the Ge Mansion borders two rivers, the “Yanmo” and the “Shuidui,” while the northern side is backed by dozens of small mountain ridges forming a natural screen, one of which is the Ge family’s “ancestral mountain” dating back to the Ming and Qing dynasties, connected directly to the house. The architectural layout follows the principles of balancing yin and yang, with the house facing a mountain and water (“Kan residence with Xun gate”), covered with small blue tiles, and featuring three levels of horse-head walls along the gabled facade. Originally designed as a seven-bay, five-courtyard structure, only a five-bay, three-courtyard section remains today, built with a five-rafter through-tenon structure. The main axis is arranged with a front hall, central hall, and rear hall, progressively higher from front to back across three architectural levels, creating a strong sense of depth. The total width is 21.6 meters, the depth 30.4 meters, covering a construction area of approximately 657 square meters.

Shuihou Town: Located in the western part of Qianshan, Shuihou Town covers a total area of 83 square kilometers. The town center is 23 kilometers from the county seat, 84 kilometers from Anqing City, and 30 kilometers from Yuexi County. Adjacent to the national scenic area of Tianzhu Mountain, the town features complex and varied terrain with significant elevation differences, unique mountain landscapes, dynamic river systems, and historical cultural sites such as temples, pavilions, and mountain strongholds. The permanent resident population of the town is around 3,000.

The town has a total of 111,019.5 mu of mountain land and 7,912.77 mu of arable land. There are 16 administrative villages with a population of 15,300... More detailed information about Shuihou Town ++

Further Reading:

· The Seventh Batch of Municipal-Level Cultural Heritage Protection Units in Anqing City