The Liu Family Manor in Wuxuan

The Liu Family Manor in Wuxuan

The Liu Family Manor in Wuxuan is a cultural relic protection unit of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

Wuxuan General’s Mansion, also known as the Ancient Liu Family Manor, is located in Liantang Village, Hema Township. It was first built in the 6th year of the Jiaqing reign during the Qing Dynasty (1742 AD), covering a land area of 120,000 square meters and a building area of 21,000 square meters. Along the secondary road from Wuxuan to Pingnan, take the Dongxiang Hualu intersection toward Hema. Follow the asphalt road and you’ll find it on the right side of the fields. It consists of two manors from the Qing Dynasty and the Republican era. The Qing-era manor is located in Xialian Tang Village, Dongzhen Town, Wuxuan County. The residences lie below the lotus pond, hence the name Xialian Tang Village, also referred to as Liantang Fort. It is 31 kilometers from the county seat and 1 kilometer from the Baili Grand Canyon, a national 2A-level natural scenic area. It backs onto the Golden Dragon Temple.

The ancient manor has been largely preserved in its original state. It follows the traditional Chinese quadrangle courtyard style with rectangular layout, facing south and situated to the north. The design adopts a “nine halls and eighteen courtyards” layout, integrating main buildings, auxiliary structures, and connecting pathways into a unified and harmonious structure. In front of the main hall lies a large courtyard, while the side houses connect with the central nine halls and eighteen courtyards. The buildings are constructed using a composite structure of blue bricks, blue tiles, lime-soil, stone, and wood. The perimeter is enclosed by a horse-running wall, about 4 meters high and 2.5 meters wide at the base, built with cobblestones. Watchtowers stand at each of the four corners of the wall, more than twice as tall as the wall itself. Both the walls and towers are outfitted with observation holes and gun ports. The village houses have a fortified, encampment-like character, which is why they were historically referred to as Liantang Fort before liberation. The manor has three main gates—south, north, and west—with the original large characters "General’s Mansion" on the wall above the southern gate.

On October 7, 2019, the Liu Family Manor in Wuxuan was included in the eighth batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Further reading:

· Eighth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units