Prince Yi’s Mansion

Prince Yi’s Mansion

Prince Yi’s Mansion is located on the north side of West Chang’an Avenue in Xicheng District, west of Fuyou Street. It was the residence of Yongxuan, the eighth son of Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty. It is a cultural heritage site protected by Xicheng District.

The founding prince, Yongxuan, was the eighth son of Emperor Gaozong. In the 44th year of Qianlong’s reign (1779), he was granted the title of Prince Yi of the First Rank, and in the 4th year of Jiaqing’s reign (1799), he was elevated to Prince Yi. He died in the 12th year of Daoguang’s reign (1832) at the age of 88 (a rare case of longevity) and was given the posthumous name “Shen.” His eldest son, Mianzhi, inherited the title of Prince of the First Rank. Hence, this place is also referred to as Prince Yi’s (Junwang) Mansion. According to *Xiaoting Xulu*, this site was originally the residence of Geng Zhongming, featuring a total of 314 rooms and grand proportions. The area from the south entrance of Fuyou Street westward, including today’s Culture Bureau and the Telegraph Building, all fell within its grounds. In the late Qing Dynasty, the Ministry of Posts and Communications and the Ministry of Finance were built on the site of the mansion, and the descendants of Prince Yi, Yuqi, moved to Qigong Mansion on the north side of Xizhimen Street. The remaining corridors and pavilions in the courtyard of the current Culture Bureau are generally believed to be remnants of the original garden of Prince Yi’s Mansion.

Yongxuan was born to Empress Xiaoyichun (also known as Noble Consort Shujia) and was a full brother to Prince Lüduan (Yongcheng) and Prince Chengzhe (Yongcong). In the 44th year of Qianlong’s reign (1779), he was granted the title of Prince Yi of the First Rank, and in the 4th year of Jiaqing’s reign (1799), he was elevated to Prince Yi. He passed away in the 12th year of Daoguang’s reign (1832), and his eldest son, Mianzhi, inherited the title of Prince of the First Rank. The title was subsequently downgraded over generations until the fifth-generation descendant, Yuqi, inherited the title of Duke of the First Rank (Zhenguo Gong) in the 28th year of Guangxu’s reign (1902).

The mansion was reconstructed in the 44th year of Qianlong’s reign on the site of the former residence of Geng Zhongming, Prince Jingnan. Geng Zhongming’s grandson, Geng Jingzhong, was executed in the 20th year of Kangxi’s reign (1682) due to the “Revolt of the Three Feudatories,” and the residence was confiscated and granted to Yongxuan. The larger architectural complex formed a trapezoidal courtyard southwest of Fuyou Street — wide in the south, narrow in the north, with the eastern side following the diagonal line of Hui Chang Street (Fuyou Street) and extending west to Hebao Lane. The main gate was located at the southeast corner, and from there to the rear building, there were five courtyards in total. When Yongxuan rebuilt the residence according to princely standards, he incorporated the area west of Hebao Lane into the mansion and constructed a garden. Originally, there were 253 rooms, with vast and deep courtyards and particularly beautiful pavilions and gardens. In the 32nd year of Guangxu’s reign, the Qing government relocated the descendants of Prince Yi, Duke Zhenguo Gong Yuqi, to the north side of Xizhimen Inner Street, and the site was repurposed to build the Ministry of Posts and Communications and the Imperial Guard. After the Republic of China, it was used as the Ministry of Communications, then the Ministry of Finance, and later became the site of the Beiping Broadcasting Station and the Jibei Electric Power Company. After 1949, it was used by the Beijing Municipal People’s Government. The overall appearance of the mansion can no longer be seen; only the eastern two-courtyard siheyuan, a section of the mansion’s dividing wall, and 0 remain.

Note: The current Energy Ministry Guesthouse, Beijing Culture Bureau, and other sites are located on the former site of Prince Yi’s Mansion.

Source: Beijing Municipal Commission of Tourism Development