Chaoyang Palace

Chaoyang Palace

Chaoyang Palace is a cultural heritage site protected by the Hunan Provincial Government.

Chaoyang Palace is located on Ximen Slope in the northwest of Fenghuang Ancient Town. Originally named the Chen Family Ancestral Hall, it was built in the 4th year of the Republic of China (1915) through donations raised by local gentry such as Chen Bing and Chen Kaifan, along with contributions from their clansmen. In the 12th year of the Republic of China (1923), General Chen Qizhen, then commander of the Western Hunan Patrol Army and a native of Fenghuang, led fellow clansmen in further expanding the site. By then, the main gate, main hall, theater stage, side boxes, kitchen, toilets, and 14 other rooms formed a cohesive complex, creating a typical southern-style quadrangle courtyard.

The main gate of Chaoyang Palace is an 8-meter-high building with purplish-red brick walls. On either side of the gate are a pair of couplets: “A auspicious bird rises from the wild and soars high into the clouds; honored guests arrive at this borderland, their eyes filled with affection for the pavilions.” Twelve symmetrical relief carvings of small mountain flowers and birds adorn both sides, and the upturned eaves give it a distinctive charm. Passing through the main gate and under the theater stage, you enter a spacious quadrangle courtyard paved entirely with square bluestone slabs, arranged neatly and orderly.

Directly ahead is a three-bay wooden main hall. Its platform is constructed from exquisitely carved red sandstone slabs and is 1.2 meters higher than the courtyard floor. The central bay features a nine-step purplish-red sandstone fan-shaped staircase. The inner eaves are fitted with a round arched door adorned with ice-pattern lattice carvings. The side bays have latticed wooden windows for ventilation, fronted by carved wooden railings and corridors. This was where officials and dignitaries once watched performances. With its carved beams and painted rafters, red pillars, green tiles, and magnificent yet elegant design, it is truly spectacular. The railings and window lattices, in particular, showcase exquisite craftsmanship and unique shapes, making them breathtakingly beautiful.

On either side of the main hall are two two-story side boxes, each with three rooms. The ground floors are left open for spectators to take shelter from the rain, while the upper floors feature carved wooden lattice boxes, providing a great view of the stage for audience members.

The theater stage stands against the gate tower, opposite the main hall, and is elevated 2.1 meters above the ground. At the center of the stage is inscribed the phrase “Learn from the Past to Understand the Present.” On either side of the front of the stage hang a couplet: “Within just a few feet of space, one can find a home, a nation, or even the world; throughout the ages, people have been wise or foolish, even immortal.” Profound yet true. At the center of the back wall of the stage is a colorful painting of the Three Stars of Fortune, Prosperity, and Longevity, above which are nine theatrical character paintings, each illustrating a classic story. The ceiling features a double-eaved roof covered with green tiles, with upturned eaves that give it an ancient, elegant, and dignified appearance.

Ticket Information · Opening Hours

10 RMB

Location

Wenxing Street, Fenghuang County, Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Hunan Province