Sanxuan Hall (Former Residence of Liu Yongfu)

Sanxuan Hall (Former Residence of Liu Yongfu)

Sanxuan Hall (Former Residence of Liu Yongfu) is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Sanxuan Hall was named after Liu Yongfu, who was honored with the title of "Governor of Three Provinces" by the King of Vietnam for his outstanding contributions in resisting the French in Vietnam. It is situated on Bangui Street in the southern part of Qinzhou City. The main building showcases late Qing Dynasty-style wing rooms, featuring over a hundred artworks including depictions of sages, heroes, civil and military officials, as well as colorful phoenixes and cranes. The site is surrounded by high walls and watchtowers, with a screen wall and plaza in front of the main house, harmoniously blending with the surrounding plants and flowers to create an elegant and beautiful setting.

Liu Yongfu’s residence, named “Sanxuan Hall,” is located at No. 10 Bangui Street, Qinzhou City (historically known as Xiayanguan). Constructed in the 17th year of the Guangxu reign during the Qing Dynasty (1891), it is the most grand and intact complex of Qing Dynasty architecture remaining in Qinzhou City. Covering an area of over 22,700 square meters with a built-up area of more than 5,600 square meters, it consists of 119 rooms of various sizes. In addition to the main building, there are auxiliary structures such as the front gate, second gate, storage rooms, study, kitchen, servants’ quarters, and stables, as well as facilities like a theater stage, garden, vegetable plot, fishpond, and drying ground. The front gate faces east toward the river and prominently displays a large plaque inscribed with the name “Sanxuan Hall.”

Liu Yongfu was conferred the title of “Governor of Three Provinces” by the King of Vietnam for his meritorious service in aiding Vietnam against the French. He was responsible for military affairs in the three Vietnamese provinces of Guangning, Haiphong, and Shanxi. The name “Sanxuan Hall” commemorates this glorious chapter in history. The couplet on either side of the gate reads: “Branch resting in ancient Yue, lineage extending from Pengcheng.”

Upon entering the front gate and passing through a over 30-meter-long pathway fragrant with longan trees, you will reach a two-story second gate. The top of the gate originally bore a golden plaque inscribed with “Jianwei Mansion,” accompanied by the couplet “Grace received from the northern court, spring fills the southern skies.” Inside the second gate lies a spacious plaza. To the south of the plaza is a large screen wall inscribed with the words “Qingyun Liri” (Auspicious Clouds and Radiant Sun), written in round and graceful calligraphy.

The main building is situated north of the screen wall, spanning three bays in width and three sections in depth. The front section has a plaque reading “Imperial-bestowed Flower Tassel” above the door, paired with the couplet “Heavenly steps nourished by rain and dew, courtyard filled with irises and orchids.” The door is over three meters high and consists of double layers: the outer layer is a distinctive southern-style “tuo-long” door, while the inner layer is a several-inch-thick wooden panel door, making it extremely sturdy. Between the front and middle sections are two flower halls, one on the east and one on the west. The western hall displays signatures and calligraphy from top-level central government leaders, experts, scholars, and social celebrities, while the eastern hall showcases inscriptions from former Vietnamese revolutionary leader Huang Wenhuang, British Ambassador to China Sir Robert Clive, his wife, and other international friends. The space between the two halls is a courtyard—famously known as the “Bribery-Rejection Courtyard.” Legend has it that after the Sino-French War, Liu Yongfu brought back a rare war trophy from Vietnam: the hair of French commander Rivière, who was killed by the Black Flag Army. When the French learned of this, they sent envoys with heavy bribes to Sanxuan Hall in an attempt to buy the hair. Unmoved by the offer, Liu firmly rebuked them in this courtyard, causing the envoys to leave in humiliation.

Beyond the “Bribery-Rejection Courtyard” lies the middle hall. The interior is adorned with numerous murals and wood carvings depicting famous mountains and rivers, pavilions and towers, exotic flowers and plants, phoenixes and cranes, as well as shepherd boys, woodcutters, sages, deities, heroes, and scholars. On either side of the middle hall are symmetrical two-story buildings. The western side was Liu Yongfu’s bedroom, which featured unique furniture, including a small one-legged tea table supported by three dog heads and paws arranged in a triangular pattern—a reflection of Liu Yongfu’s fondness for dogs even incorporated into his furniture design.

The rear building serves as the ancestral hall and is the tallest structure in the complex, known as “Qingying Hall.” This is where Liu Yongfu opposed the “Twenty-One Demands” and volunteered for the anti-Japanese resistance. In the fourth year of the Republic of China (1915), Yuan Shikai accepted Japan’s “Twenty-One Demands,” aimed at destroying China. Upon hearing the news, Liu Yongfu was filled with righteous indignation. He promptly gathered his family, tutors, and household members in the ancestral hall to “send a telegram of defiance to the north and volunteer for battle,” stating that if Japan persisted in aggression, he would, despite being 79 years old, “offer the body of this old man” as the vanguard in a fight to the death against the enemy.

The rear building also hosts the “Exhibition of Historical Relics from the Sino-French War,” featuring 10 exhibition rooms covering a total area of over 1,000 square meters. The exhibits are divided into three sections: an overview of the Sino-French War, the anti-French struggles of the Black Flag Army (commanded by Liu Yongfu), and the anti-French efforts of the Cui Army (led by Feng Zicai). Major exhibits include imperial plaques bestowed by Emperor Guangxu of the Qing Dynasty and Emperor Dục Đức of Vietnam upon Liu Yongfu’s father, as well as a grain warehouse—covering 1,500 square meters and standing adjacent to the main building—that locals call the “Jimin Granary.” The warehouse consists of a row of 10 rooms with a built-up area of over 300 square meters. This was Liu Yongfu’s initiative during famine years. At the western end of the main building is a row of single-story houses that served as Liu Yongfu’s study.

Transportation: You can take a tricycle within Qinzhou City to reach the site.

Opening Hours: 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM; 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM

Qinzhou City, Guangxi

Liu Yongfu (1837–1917), originally named Ye, also known as Yi, with the courtesy name Yuanting, was from Xiaofeng Township, Guxindong, Fangcheng, Qinzhou (now part of Guangxi), Guangdong. In 1845 (the 25th year of the Daoguang reign), he moved with his parents to Shangsi, Guangxi (now Shangsi County), where he worked in farming. In 1852 (the 2nd year of the Xianfeng reign), he worked as a boatman along the Zuojiang River, learning martial arts from his father and uncles in his spare time. Soon after, both his parents passed away, and he made a living by chopping wood and fishing. In 1857 (the 7th year of the Xianfeng reign), he joined six fellow villagers, including Deng Afu, in participating in the Guangxi Tiandihui peasant uprising, operating in Guiping (now Jingxi). In 1864 (the 3rd year of the Tongzhi reign), during the Taiping Rebellion... [Liu Yongfu Detailed Information++]

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