Cai E’s Former Residence

Cai E’s Former Residence

Cai E’s Former Residence is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Cai E’s Former Residence is located on Huilong Street, Shanmen Town, Dongkou County, Shaoyang City, Hunan Province, situated on the northern bank of the Huangni River and at the western foot of Xiuyun Mountain. Originally named “Wu’an Palace,” it was first built in the 21st year of the Kangxi reign during the Qing Dynasty (1682).

Cai E spent most of his youth in Shanmen Town, Dongkou County. He was a renowned democratic revolutionary and an outstanding military strategist in modern China.

The residence faces southwest and is built with a brick-and-wood structure. It has three sections from front to back, each five bays wide and two bays deep, covering a total area of 1,300 square meters.

The first section combines a memorial archway with a theater stage. The front features a brick memorial gate with lime plastering, overlapping eaves, and fine brushwork paintings. The stone-carved couplet above the gate reads: “Skilled both in civil governance and martial prowess, a great man who defended the nation and overthrew Yuan.” Above the gate, the four large characters “Cai E’s Former Residence” are embossed in regular script.

The archway has two levels. The left upper room was once Cai E’s bedroom and study, while the ground floor was where his parents slept. The two right rooms were used as workshops for distilling liquor and making tofu. The theater stage was destroyed by fire in 1945. The original second section served as an auditorium and was later renovated into a two-story wooden corridor building.

The third section is the shrine hall, which houses a statue of Mr. Cai. The roof features a single-eave gable and hip design covered with small blue tiles. In 1997, it was designated as a Hunan Provincial Patriotic Education Base and is a provincial-level Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

In 2003, the management committee of Cai E’s Former Residence invested over one million yuan to comprehensively renovate the interior and exterior of the residence. A collection of daily utensils used by Cai E during his lifetime was gathered. Additionally, the private school where Cai E studied in his childhood (now Songpo Primary School) and the tombs of Cai E’s parents were also restored.

On May 25, 2006, Cai E’s former residence, home, and tomb were approved by the State Council to be included in the sixth batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Cai E (1882–1916)

Governor of the Yunnan Military Government, Commander-in-Chief of the First Army of the Anti-Yuan Protection Army, and General.

A native of Shaoyang County, Hunan (now Dayong District, Shaoyang City), courtesy name Songpo. He was born on December 18, 1882, into a poor farming family in Qinmu Township, Shaoyang County. At age 5, he moved with his parents to Shanmen, Wugang County. He began attending private school at age 6. By age 10, he had completed the “Four Books” and “Five Classics” and could write fluent essays, earning the title “Child Prodigy.” At age 13, he excelled in the imperial examinations for history and literature, passing as a Xiucai (successful candidate in the imperial examinations at the county level). At age 15, he was admitted to the Hunan Times School. … More details about Cai E ++

Shanmen Town: Located in the western part of Dongkou County, Shanmen Town administers 34 villages, 3 neighborhood committees, 456 villager groups, and 14,933 households. The town has a total population of 50,628, including 42,942 agricultural residents and a labor force of 26,642. The town covers a total area of 108 square kilometers, with 31,572 mu of arable land, including 27,764.4 mu of paddy fields.

Shanmen Town is well known in southwestern Hunan for its abundant natural resources and long-standing historical culture. The Xiuyun Mountain Nanyue Hall and “Cai E’s Former Residence” attract 200,000 to 300,000 tourists each year... More details about Shanmen Town ++