Former Residence of Xiao Ke

Former Residence of Xiao Ke

The former residence of Xiao Ke is a cultural relic protection unit of Hunan Province and a patriotic education base.

The former residence of Xiao Ke is located in Xiaojietian Village, Pantou Township, Jiahe County. Originally built during the Daoguang era of the Qing Dynasty, it faces northwest and is a classical building primarily constructed of brick and wood, commonly known as the "Main Hall House." The entire hall is designed as a rectangular courtyard, featuring blue bricks, gray tiles, a post-and-lintel beam structure, and a flush-gable roof. It spans 19.4 meters in width and 21.1 meters in depth, covering a total area of 409 square meters. Originally, there was a pair of stone lions sitting proudly at the entrance, but they were destroyed during the Cultural Revolution. On both sides of the gate, there is a couplet in running regular script with hook borders that reads: “The grand gateway, always bathed in sunlight and moonlight; the flourishing descendants, worthy of the true lineage of the Qi and Liang dynasties.” Passing through the gate, to the right is the wing room, separated from the left side room by a courtyard. Beyond the wing room lies the main hall, which is divided into an upper hall and a lower hall, with another courtyard separating the two. The hall is flanked by 12 side rooms, partitioned by wooden boards. This was the generational dwelling place of General Xiao Ke’s family, and he was born here. The residence has consistently received attention and protection from the county government, which has regularly allocated special funds for its maintenance. In 2008, the residence suffered damage from an ice storm, causing partial collapse of some side rooms. The county government and the county cultural relics management office raised 180,000 yuan to carry out emergency repairs. An exhibition on the life and achievements of General Xiao Ke was also set up inside the hall, making it a patriotic education base for local youth. Currently, the residence is relatively well-preserved, but due to dispersed ownership, management remains challenging.

The former residence of Xiao Ke was designated as a county-level cultural relic protection unit in November 2002, a municipal-level cultural relic protection unit in 2003, and a provincial-level cultural relic protection unit in 2006 under the document Xiang Zheng Fa [2006] No. 17. In 2010, as part of a cluster of sites related to the Southern Hunan Uprising, it was submitted as a group application for the seventh batch of national-level protection, passed expert review, and was officially announced in May 2013.

Xiao Ke

(1907- 2008 )

Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, General of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, President and First Political Commissar of the Military Academy.

A native of Jiahe County, Hunan Province, Xiao Ke was born on July 14, 1907, into a scholarly family in Pantou Township, Jiahe County. From a young age, he received training in classical Chinese, laying a foundation in language and literature, and developed the habit of writing with proper posture—upright mind, upright body, upright paper, and upright brush. He entered a private school at the age of 7. In 1920, he attended higher elementary school. In 1923, he was admitted to the county’s First-Class Normal School. Influenced by teachers who were members of the Communist Party, he joined the Chinese Nationalist Party and devoted himself to the Nationalist... [Detailed information about Xiao Ke++]

Pantou Township: A township under the jurisdiction of Jiahe County. It belonged to Panxi Township in 1949, Pantou Township of the Fifth District in 1950, was incorporated into the Wuxing Commune in 1958, belonged to Gaotang Commune in 1961, was merged into Yuanjia Commune in 1964, established as Pantou Commune in 1978, and reverted to a township in 1986. Located southeast of the county, it is 10 kilometers from the county seat, covers an area of 28.1 square kilometers, and has a population of 11,000. The township government is stationed in Yuejin. It has road access and governs 11 village committees including Juxia, Xiaojietian, Machong, Shuiwei, Hefen, Pantou, Zhalin, Caotang, Wutang, Yuejin, and Shuangluo, as well as two residential committees: Pantou and Tieluxia Coal Mine... [Detailed information about Pantou Township++]

Further Reading:

· Eighth Batch of Hunan Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Units