Former Residence of Huang Chaojia

Former Residence of Huang Chaojia

The former residence of Huang Chaojia is a cultural tourism attraction.

Huang Chaojia was appointed as an imperial bodyguard by decree of Emperor Guangxu of the Qing Dynasty (1848–1889). His courtesy name was Huanrong and his pseudonym Dongyuan. He was a native of Xiatang Village, Tonggu. During the Xianfeng era of the Qing Dynasty, when the Taiping Rebellion arose, his father, Jianxi, established the Tonggu Militia to assist the Qing army in suppressing the uprising, making significant contributions and was awarded the honorary title of Zhaowu Duwei. Among his brothers, Chaojia was the youngest and much beloved. He was named “Chaojia” (meaning “to pay homage to the emperor”) with the hope that as he grew up, he would have the honor of paying tribute to the emperor and achieve top honors in the imperial examinations. His family set aside a special training ground for martial arts. In his youth, Chaojia was trained by his father in horseback archery, weapon techniques, and studied Sun Tzu’s Art of War to develop both literary and martial prowess.

Chaojia was tall and burly, with extraordinary arm strength. He was reserved in speech and conduct, and carried himself with great presence. At just 16, he traveled to Yining Prefecture (with its seat in present-day Xiushui County) and passed the martial arts examination to become a Xiangsheng (a student of military arts) in the fourth year of the Tongzhi reign (1865). At 25, he went to Nanchang Prefecture to take the martial arts provincial examination in the twelfth year of the Tongzhi reign (1873), where he ranked sixth among those admitted as Juren (provincial graduates). At 37, he went to the capital to take the metropolitan examination and was honorably selected as the 32nd-ranked Jinshi (presented scholar) in the martial arts category in the third year of the Guangxu reign (1877), ranking third class in the palace examination.

During the palace examination, while performing a sword dance, Chaojia became overly nervous and accidentally dropped his sharp sword. Just as it was about to hit the ground, he quickly reacted by leaping and kicking it back into his hand. Emperor Guangxu noticed the mishap and smiled, asking, “What technique is this?” Chaojia remained calm, gracefully sheathed the sword, and knelt down nobly, replying, “It is an ancestral secret technique — ‘Swallow Skimming the Waves’!” The emperor, impressed by his handsome appearance and quick wit, held him in high regard and appointed him as a Blue-Feathered Imperial Bodyguard, one rank higher. In the third year of the Guangxu reign (1877), during the year of Dingchou, the emperor bestowed upon him a plaque.