The Chan Family Mansion

The Chan Family Mansion

The Chan Family Mansion is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The Chan Family Mansion is located in Meixi Village, Qianshan Subdistrict, Xiangzhou District, Zhuhai City, Guangdong Province.

Chan Fang (1825–1906), styled Guofen, was from Yangmeixie Village, Xiagongdu, Xiangshan County, Guangdong Province (now Meixi, Qianshan Town, Zhuhai City). He became wealthy through business, becoming the first overseas Chinese millionaire and earning the title "Prince of Commerce." In 1848, Chan Fang started doing business in Hawaii, later becoming the first Chinese millionaire in Honolulu and gaining the reputation of being the "Prince of Commerce." After amassing his fortune, he remained committed to his hometown and made numerous donations to domestic causes. This stone archway complex was built by imperial decree of Emperor Guangxu in recognition of Chan Fang and his parents’ philanthropic efforts in their hometown.

The ancestral home of Chan Fang was built in the late Qing Dynasty. The Chan Family Mansion includes Chan Fang’s former residence, the stone archway complex, and the Chan family cemetery. It covers a total area of 5,742 square meters, with a building area of 2,600 square meters, comprising one ancestral hall, three main houses, one Western-style house, and one flower hall.

The stone archway complex was built in the 12th year (1886) and 17th year (1891) of the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty. Originally consisting of four archways, only three remain today, all of which are three-bay, three-story stone archways.

The Chan family cemetery houses the remains of Chan Fang’s mother, Madam Li, as well as his third son Chen Gengyu and eldest grandson Chen Yong’an. It features stone and gray-brick tombs, facing south with a northern orientation, covering an area of 2,000 square meters. The site includes a pavilion and a stone tablet inscribed with the words “Shèngdì Jiāchéng” (A Fine Site and Noble Land) written by Mo Rongxin, Governor of Guangdong during the Republic of China period.

The Chan Family Residence (including the stone archways and cemetery) is one of the representatives of local Guangdong architecture. It is an architectural masterpiece that blends Chinese and Western styles, serving as a valuable physical resource for the study of Guangdong’s local history, the history of overseas Chinese, and folklore.

In 2006, the Chan Family Mansion was included in the sixth batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units by the State Council as a historical building from the Qing Dynasty.

Location

Meixi Village, Qianshan Subdistrict, Xiangzhou District, Zhuhai City, Guangdong Province

Meixi Community: Meixi Community…… More information about Meixi Community++

Further reading:

· Sixth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units