Prince Chun’s Mansion (Southern Mansion)

Prince Chun’s Mansion (Southern Mansion)

Prince Chun’s Mansion (Southern Mansion) is a cultural heritage conservation unit of Beijing.

Prince Chun’s Mansion (Southern Mansion) is located at No. 43 Baojia Hutong and No. Jia 2 Zongmao Hutong, Xicheng District, and is listed as one of the eighth batch of municipal-level cultural heritage conservation units in Beijing.

Originally the residence of Rongchun Prince, the fifth son of Emperor Gaozong of the Qing Dynasty, it was granted in the ninth year of the Xianfeng reign (1859) to Yixuan, the seventh son of Emperor Xuanzong of the Qing Dynasty. In the eleventh year of the Tongzhi reign (1872), Yixuan was conferred the title of Prince Chun. In the thirteenth year of the Tongzhi reign (1874), Yixuan’s second son, Zaichun, was enthroned as emperor with the reign title Guangxu. Since the emperor was born here, the mansion became known as the “Qianlong Residence” (a residence where an emperor was born). To distinguish it from the new mansion built on the north shore of Houhai, it was referred to as the Southern Mansion. The mansion faces south and originally consisted of buildings arranged along eastern, central, and western routes, along with a garden. The remaining cultural heritage structures cover an area of 5,661 square meters, with some halls having been modified and the garden no longer extant. As the birthplace of Emperor Guangxu of the Qing Dynasty, Prince Chun’s Mansion (Southern Mansion) provides physical material for the study of the imperial family history of the Qing Dynasty.

Source: Beijing Municipal Administration of Cultural Heritage

Further Reading:

· Eighth Batch of Municipal-Level Cultural Heritage Conservation Units in Beijing