Prince Li’s Mansion

Prince Li’s Mansion

Destination Introduction

Prince Li’s Mansion is situated on the west side of South Huangchenggen Street near Xi’anmen in Xicheng District, extending from Dajiangfang Hutong in the south to Banshang Hutong in the north, covering an area of about 30 hectares. Among the many princely mansions constructed during the Qing Dynasty, the largest were those of Prince Li and Prince Yu. An old Beijing saying goes, “Prince Li’s rooms, Prince Yu’s walls,” highlighting the sheer number of rooms in Prince Li’s Mansion.

The first Prince Li was Daišan, the second son of Nurhaci, the founding emperor of the Qing Dynasty. From a young age, Daišan accompanied his father in battle and achieved remarkable military feats in major campaigns such as the capture of Fushun, Liaoyang, and Shenyang. He was honored with the title “Guying Batulu.” In the 43rd year of the Wanli era (1615), the Eight Banners were officially established, with Nurhaci leading the two Yellow Banners himself and Daišan commanding the two Red Banners. Daišan was the only person besides Nurhaci to lead two banners. At one point, Nurhaci even considered Daišan as his successor, but due to the involvement of Daišan’s son, Shuotuo, in a secret plot to defect to the Ming Dynasty, Daišan lost his claim to the throne. Although he fell from power, Daišan still retained significant influence and played an unparalleled role in key matters such as the succession of his brother, Hong Taiji, his nephew, Fulin, and the stabilization of the political situation. Not long after Emperor Shunzhi of the Qing Dynasty entered the Pass, Daišan passed away in Beijing at the age of 66. Emperor Shunzhi granted him a sum of ten thousand taels of silver to erect a monument commemorating his achievements, and Emperor Kangxi posthumously honored him with the title “Lie” (Martyr).

The site of Prince Li’s Mansion was originally the residence of Zhou Kui, an in-law of Emperor Chongzhen of the Ming Dynasty, and later came into the possession of Daišan. The lower part of the current main hall’s door features carved cloud dragons crafted in the Ming Dynasty style. The mansion is characterized by its grand scale, expansive grounds, multiple gates and courtyards, and deep, layered compounds. It is divided into three sections: the central section includes the main gate, the second gate, the Yinan Hall, the corridor gate, the shrine, and the rear building; the western part is a garden with pavilions and towers arranged ingeniously; the eastern part consists of the living quarters for the prince and his family. In the 12th year of the Jiaqing reign (1807), a fire broke out in Prince Li’s Mansion, and later, with funding of ten thousand taels granted by Emperor Jiaqing, the then Prince Li, Zhao??, oversaw a restoration that largely followed the original layout.

The main structures of the mansion are divided into two groups, front and rear. The front section includes the main gate (palace gate), the main hall and its side wing buildings, the rear hall, and its two side halls. The rear section forms its own courtyard, with an inner gate (second palace gate) at the front, followed by the front hall, rear hall, their side rooms, and finally the rear building.

The Prince Li family was extremely prominent in the Qing Dynasty. Among the Eight Iron-Capped Princes of the early Qing, three came from the Prince Li lineage: Prince Li Daišan, Prince Keqin Yue’etuo (Daišan’s eldest son), and Prince Shuncheng Lekdehun (Daišan’s grandson). These three generations held hereditary titles without reduction. Additionally, there were two more who were granted the title of prince, one as a Beizi (noble), and one as a Fuguo Gong (supporter duke). Such honors were unattainable for other imperial clan members.

Among the later hereditary princes of Li, several gained fame. For example, the Prince Li Jiashu was a renowned general of the Qing Dynasty, once serving as the Grand General Commissioned for a Campaign. He achieved repeated military successes in battles against Geng Jingzhong and in defense against Galdan. The ninth-generation Prince Li, Zhao??, had a passion for literature and history, and paid close attention to historical anecdotes. He authored “Xiaoting Miscellaneous Records” and “Xiaoting Sequel Records,” both of which documented a wealth of information on Qing Dynasty politics, military affairs, culture, and institutional systems. These works have been passed down to this day and hold important historical value for the study of Qing history. In the late Qing period, Prince Li Shiduo served successively as an Inner Minister, Grand Councilor, and head of the Grand Council, handling major state and military affairs, and was granted double the salary of a prince. Shiduo’s son, the last Prince Li, Chenghou, loved raising creatures such as snakes and hedgehogs, earning him the nickname “Mad Prince.” The Prince Li lineage lasted for 13 generations, spanning from the first year of the Chongde era (1636) to three years after the fall of the Qing Dynasty (1914), a total of 278 years. It is hailed as the “Foremost Prince of the Qing Dynasty.”

In 1927, descendants of Prince Li leased the front half of the mansion to the North China Academy. This arrangement continued until the founding of New China. The North China University trained a large number of cadres for the national takeover of government and enterprise units in North China. After fulfilling its historical mission, the university was repurposed as office space for the Ministry of Internal Affairs (later renamed the Ministry of Civil Affairs). Today, most of the central-section buildings remain preserved, still retaining much of their original scale, while the rest have undergone modifications and no longer serve their original functions. Nevertheless, it remains one of the better-preserved princely mansions. In 1984, it was designated as a Beijing Municipal Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Location: On the west side of South Xihuangchenggen Street, Xicheng District

Area: 30 hectares

Beijing Xicheng District