Liu Family Ancestral Residence

Liu Family Ancestral Residence

The Liu Family Ancestral Residence is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction and a national key cultural relics protection unit.

The Liu Family Ancestral Residence features typical Ming and Qing dynasty architecture as well as an ancient architectural complex dating from the late Tang to the Qing dynasty, including wood carvings and stone engravings, celebrity inscriptions, calligraphy and painting crafts, murals, imperial gold plaques, and stone sculptures, among others.

Located at Xiwensheng Village, Tuowo Township, 25 kilometers southwest of Qinshui County at the foot of Mount Li, it is a provincial-level key cultural relics protection unit.

In the fourth year of the Yongle reign during the Ming dynasty (1406), descendants of Liu Zongyuan built their fortune through farming and studying. They constructed a scholar’s residence with thirteen courtyards in Wensheng Village, 25 kilometers southwest of Qinshui County. The complex covers a total area of 20,000 square meters. Its construction craftsmanship is exceptional, with a unique architectural style that blends the essence of Ming and Qing architecture, fuses northern and southern design elements, and ingeniously incorporates imperial palace building techniques into civilian use. It authentically documents the history of scholarly bureaucratic families over generations and profoundly reveals the social development from the Ming-era "official-to-merchant" trend to the Qing-era "merchant-to-official" transformation. It is truly a masterpiece of ancient Chinese residential architecture.

The Liu Family Ancestral Residence is divided into three parts. The eastern end of the village is the outer mansion area, which includes the Liu Family Ancestral Hall, Yu the Great Temple, Confucius Temple, Paper & Silk Tower, Heavenly Emperor Hall, Sacred Temple, Hay Storage, and left and right passageways. The northern end of the village is the inner mansion area, featuring a circular inner street, a small theater stage, Sima Mansion, Zhongxian Mansion, Wude Mansion, Chengde Mansion, Yinxu Tower, tunnel entrance, sightseeing pavilion, riverside viewing pavilion, backyard garden, and mansion gate tower. The central zone connects the inner and outer mansions, mainly consisting of the Wenchang Pavilion, drill ground, outer mansion gate tower, and two grand and imposing stone archways that form the inner street.

Ticket / Opening Hours: 30 RMB per person

Shanxi, Jincheng City

Xiwensheng Village: Xiwensheng Village is located in Tuowo Township, Qinshui County, Shanxi Province. It is famous for the “Liu Family Ancestral Residence,” which was built during the Yongle era of the Ming dynasty. Nestled against the mountain, it is designed in the shape of a “phoenix spreading its wings,” covering a total area of over 30 acres. The entire structure is broadly divided into three parts: the outer mansion area, central section, and inner mansion area. The inner mansion area is a fully enclosed structure, accessible only through two gates. Its four corners feature a small theater stage, riverside viewing pavilion, sightseeing pavilion, and mansion gate tower.

Descendants of Liu Zongyuan, a Tang dynasty thinker and literary figure, lived in the “Liu Family Ancestral Residence” in Qinshui County, Shanxi Province for hundreds of years. The “Liu Family Ancestral Residence” is located... Xiwensheng Village details ++

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units