The Dadian Zhuang Family Manor

The Dadian Zhuang Family Manor

The Dadian Zhuang Family Manor is located in Dadian Town, 15 kilometers north of the city. Since the early Ming Dynasty, when the Zhuang family migrated here, generations have been engaged in farming and scholarship. The family produced a large number of historical figures, including Zhuang Qian, Zhuang Yao, and Zhuang Gailan, enjoying great prestige with as many as seventy-two family hall names. Spanning the provinces of Shandong, Jiangsu, and Anhui, there is a saying that “one could travel for ten days without eating anyone else’s food, or ride a horse for a thousand li without feeding on another’s grass.” The manor features grand and sprawling architecture, with an elegant and luxurious style, even more splendid and famous than the Liu Wencai Manor in Dayi, Sichuan, or the Mou Erhei Manor in Muping. Unfortunately, due to historical reasons, the vast majority of the buildings have been demolished.

During the Liberation War, after 1940, the headquarters of the 115th Division, the East China Bureau, and the East China Military and Political University were all stationed in the manor. On August 13, 1945, the Shandong Provincial Government was established here, making it the command center for the party, government, and military of Shandong Province at the time. Today, the manor houses the “115th Division Headquarters Memorial Hall” and the “Shandong Provincial Government Memorial Hall.”