Xijiang Village Ma Family Manor

Xijiang Village Ma Family Manor

The Xijiang Village Ma Family Manor is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction and a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level.

The Ma Family Manor is located in Xijiang Village, Jiangcun Township, 21 kilometers west of Anyang. It was the former residence of Ma Piyao, the late Qing Dynasty’s First-Class Grand Secretary and Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi. Its location is backed by Shou’an Mountain, faces Zhiquan River, is close to the towering Taihang Mountains, and connects to the North China Plain, shining amid the landscapes of Xing Mountain and Huan River, offering especially splendid views.

The manor was built from the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty to the early years of the Republic of China, taking nearly 50 years to complete. The main structures are largely well-preserved. The architectural complex mainly consists of three zones—north, central, and south—divided into six routes. The northern zone has one route with two quadrangle courtyards; the central zone has four routes, with the western three serving as residential areas, each route featuring four quadrangle courtyards front and back, with nine gates along the central axis, commonly known as “Nine Gates in Alignment.” The eastern route serves as the Ma family ancestral temple, also with two quadrangle courtyards front and back; the southern zone has one route, with a central axis also laid out in the “Nine Gates in Alignment” pattern, consisting of four quadrangle courtyards front and back. Supporting rooms are built along the east, west, and south sides of the central buildings. Architectural forms in the three zones include halls, chambers, towers, corridors, rooms, and gates, totaling 308 rooms. The existing buildings cover an area of over 20,000 square meters, with a construction area of over 5,000 square meters. Surrounding auxiliary structures include the Ma Family Charitable Estate, Zhi Zhuang, Wenchang Pavilion, stables, warehouses, hay storage, the Ma Family Ancestral Hall, as well as three gardens in the north, central, and south areas, with a total area exceeding 70,000 square meters and a total construction area of over 100,000 square meters. The entire manor is designed rationally, with a rigorous layout, clear hierarchy, symmetrical arrangement, low front and high back, terraced composition, and a grand and magnificent momentum, earning it the reputation of “the unparalleled large feudal bureaucratic mansion in the Central Plains.”

The owner of the manor, Ma Piyao (1831–1895), was a native of Xijiang Village, Anyang County. He became a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations) in the first year of the Tongzhi era (1862) and successively served as magistrate of Pinglu and Yongji in Shanxi, prefects of Jiezhou and Taiyuan, judicial commissioner and provincial governor of Shanxi, judicial commissioner and provincial governor of Guizhou, provincial governor of Guangxi, and Governor-General of Guangxi and Guangdong concurrently holding the positions of Assistant Minister of War and Right Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate. Serving as an official for over 30 years, he was diligent, pragmatic, dedicated, and deeply loved the people, achieving remarkable political accomplishments and earning the trust of both the populace and the court. The people called him “Ma Qingtian” (Ma the Just), and Emperor Guangxu praised him for “devoting himself utterly” and being a “model for all officials.” After his death, he was posthumously honored as “Guanglu Grand Master” and “Martial General.” Ma Piyao had four sons and three daughters, many of whom were visionary and left their mark in modern Chinese history. His eldest son, Ma Jisen (1857–1912), was a Hanlin Academy attendant, who developed coal mines such as the Liuhegou Mine in Anyang, founded the Guangyi Cotton Mill in Anyang (the predecessor of today’s Yubei Cotton Textile Mill), established the Anyang Mining Corporation, and served as president of the Anyang Chamber of Commerce. He pioneered local ethnic industries in Henan and was a renowned industrialist. His second son, Ma Jizhang (1859–1931), was a Jinshi, who served as a Hanlin Academy compiler, assistant editor of the National History Office, chief proofreader of the Collected Statutes Office, judicial commissioner of Hubei, and other positions, earning high regard from the court. After the Xinhai Revolution, he served as Yuan Shikai’s inner historian and secretary of the Beiyang government. His third daughter, Ma Qingxia (1877–1923), also known as Xia, was known for her philanthropy and passion for education. She was honored by Emperor Guangxu as a “First-Class Imperial Noble Consort,” and was a member of the Chinese Revolutionary Alliance. After the Xinhai Revolution, she actively followed Dr. Sun Yat-sen in joining the revolution and was a renowned bourgeois democratic revolutionary, educator, social activist, and female revolutionary of the Xinhai era, earning the titles “Southern Qiu Jin, Northern Qingxia.” Dr. Sun Yat-sen once praised her as a “heroine” and inscribed the words “The World Belongs to All” for her, while Lu Xun also complimented her as “talented and beautiful.”

In the early years of the Anti-Japanese War, the manor was taken over as public property and successively used by the Anyang County Normal School, Anyang County No. 1 Middle School, Jiangcun Primary School, and Jiangcun Grain Station. On September 25, 2000, it was designated as a Provincial-Level Cultural Relics Protection Unit by the People’s Government of Henan Province. In recent years, the government has allocated substantial funds for comprehensive renovations, largely restoring its original appearance. Especially on April 30 of this year, the “First Ma Family Manor Cultural Tourism Festival” was successfully held here, making it a widely renowned tourist attraction.

The northern zone is located north of Zhongjie Road, facing south, with two quadrangle courtyards front and back. The east and west sides of the rear courtyard each have a cross-courtyard, known as the “Yayuan Flat Residence.” Mostly featuring flush-gable roof-style buildings, they were originally the old residence of Ma Piyao’s ancestors. When the four Ma brothers divided the property, it was allocated to the second son, Ma Jizhang. In the early years of the Republic of China, Ma Jizhang renovated and reconstructed the buildings during his tenure as Yuan Shikai’s inner historian.

The central zone is the largest of the three, accounting for about two-thirds of the entire manor. It is situated north of Nanjie Road, also facing south, with a total of 158 rooms, consisting of one route for the ancestral temple and three routes for residences. The ancestral temple is on the east, and the residential area is on the west. The four routes are independently structured yet mutually complementary.

The main gate of the ancestral temple has three arched gateways at the lower level, with a five-room study building above. The first quadrangle courtyard has five-room side rooms on the east and west, called the “East Study” and “West Study.” The central hall has a five-room passageway hall with a flush-gable roof, front and rear corridors, a high platform base, named the “Yanyi Hall.” The rear courtyard has three-room side rooms on the east and west, with the east serving as the “Relic Clothing Room” and the west as the “Ritual Vessel Storage Room.” The main hall has five rooms, tall and majestic, named the “Yuxiu Hall,” which is the offering hall, with a front terrace. Its specifications and layout strictly follow the regulations set by the “Qing Huidian” (Collected Statutes of the Qing) during the Guangxu period. It was built between 1880 and 1885.

The three residential routes share similar architectural forms and layouts. All have main gates facing south, consisting of four quadrangle courtyards, with front courtyards and rear halls, symmetrical left and right, and gradually elevated from south to north. The middle route’s main gate is tall and majestic, while the east and west main gates are both arched tunnel gates, with a screen gate inside the west route’s main gate. Only the middle route has a second gate with a screen gate inside. The rear courtyards also differ: the west route’s main room is a five-room bungalow, while the middle and east routes’ main rooms are five-room buildings, with the east side of the east route also having a three-room building. In terms of architectural specifications, the middle route is the highest, followed by the east, then the west. In terms of construction time, the west route was built earlier, starting in 1883, the middle route in 1887, and the east route in 1889. When the Ma brothers divided the property, the east route went to the eldest son, Ma Jisen, and the west route to the fourth son, Ma Jishu.

The southern zone faces the central zone across the street and was originally designed with three routes, with the east route completed in 1924, while only the main gates and street-front rooms of the middle and west routes were built. Due to changes in the situation, the rest were not completed.

The southern zone’s east route faces north, also featuring the “Nine Gates in Alignment” pattern, with four quadrangle courtyards front and back. The first and third courtyards are smaller, each with a second and third gate, flanked by two two-room corridor rooms, and three-room side rooms on the east and west. The second and fourth courtyards are larger, with seven-room main rooms and five-room side rooms on the east and west.

The southern zone’s architectural scale and specifications are noticeably higher than those of the central and northern zones, not only in terms of larger building volume and more gates but also in the extensive use of exquisite stone, brick, and wood carvings. The reason is that the southern zone was built during the Republican era, no longer constrained by feudal regulations. When the Ma brothers divided the property, it was allocated to the third son, Ma Jimai.

The manor buildings are all of brick-and-wood structure, with gray-tiled roofs. The roofs are mostly flush-gable style, with some hanging gable and flat styles. The architectural features combine traditional Beijing quadrangle courtyard characteristics, local Central Plains folk architectural elements, and Shanxi carving artistry. Another notable feature is that most main and side rooms have front corridors, some with both front and rear corridors, creating interconnected corridors and courtyards, especially convenient for movement in rainy or snowy weather.

The northern zone is located north of Zhongjie Road, facing south, with two quadrangle courtyards front and back. The east and west sides of the rear courtyard each have a cross-courtyard, known as the “Yayuan Flat Residence.” Mostly featuring flush-gable roof-style buildings, they were originally the old residence of Ma Piyao’s ancestors. When the four Ma brothers divided the property, it was allocated to the second son, Ma Jizhang. In the early years of the Republic of China, Ma Jizhang renovated and reconstructed the buildings during his tenure as Yuan Shikai’s inner historian.

The central zone is the largest of the three, accounting for about two-thirds of the entire manor. It is situated north of Nanjie Road, also facing south, with a total of 158 rooms, consisting of one route for the ancestral temple and three routes for residences. The ancestral temple is on the east, and the residential area is on the west. The four routes are independently structured yet mutually complementary.

The southern zone faces the central zone across the street and was originally designed with three routes, with the east route completed in 1924, while only the main gates and street-front rooms of the middle and west routes were built. Due to changes in the situation, the rest were not completed.

The southern zone’s east route faces north, also featuring the “Nine Gates in Alignment” pattern, with four quadrangle courtyards front and back. The first and third courtyards are smaller, each with a second and third gate, flanked by two two-room corridor rooms, and three-room side rooms on the east and west. The second and fourth courtyards are larger, with seven-room main rooms and five-room side rooms on the east and west.

The southern zone’s architectural scale and specifications are noticeably higher than those of the central and northern zones, not only in terms of larger building volume and more gates but also in the extensive use of exquisite stone, brick, and wood carvings. The reason is that the southern zone was built during the Republican era, no longer constrained by feudal regulations. When the Ma brothers divided the property, it was allocated to the third son, Ma Jimai.

The manor buildings are all of brick-and-wood structure, with gray-tiled roofs. The roofs are mostly flush-gable style, with some hanging gable and flat styles. The architectural features combine traditional Beijing quadrangle courtyard characteristics, local Central Plains folk architectural elements, and Shanxi carving artistry. Another notable feature is that most main and side rooms have front corridors, some with both front and rear corridors, creating interconnected corridors and courtyards, especially convenient for movement in rainy or snowy weather.

Address: Xijiang Village, Jiangcun Town, Anyang County, Anyang City

Type: Celebrity Former Residence & Historic Site

Rating: AAAA

Recommended Visit Duration: 2–4 hours

Phone: 0372-3233666; 0372-5825777

Official Website: http://www.aymszy.com/

Opening Hours:

8:30–17:00 (Winter), 8:30–17:30 (Summer)

Transportation

Take the bus from Anyang to ShuYe, get off at the Mashiyuan Manor intersection (inform the conductor you're going to Mashiyuan Manor after boarding), then take a small minivan from ShuYe to Mashiyuan Manor directly to the manor (fare: 2 yuan).

Tickets

Ticket price: 60 yuan

Ma Piyao (1831–1895), styled Yushan, was a native of Anyang, Henan. In the first year of the Tongzhi reign (1862) during the Qing Dynasty, he became a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations. He served as magistrate, prefect, and other administrative officials in Shanxi Province for over 20 years. In February of the 14th year of the Guangxu reign (1888), he was appointed as the Provincial Administration Commissioner of Guangxi, and in August of the following year, he became the Governor of Guangxi. During his four years in Guangxi, he advocated for “revitalizing morale and breaking away from outdated practices.” In response to the dire living conditions of the local people, he issued the “Guangxi Proclamation Banning Arbitrary Levies by Local Officials,” explicitly forbidding officials from exploiting opportunities such as travel, patrolling local defense units, or assigning corvée labor to exploit the populace. He strengthened border defenses by constructing 20 artillery batteries in key border areas of Guangxi. He also ordered... More about Ma Piyao++

Further Reading:

· Third Batch of Henan Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units

· Seventh Batch of Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level