Qu’s Manor in Luxian County

Qu’s Manor in Luxian County

Qu’s Manor in Luxian County is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Qu’s Manor in Luxian County was initially built during the Jiaqing to Daoguang reigns of the Qing Dynasty (1809–1845). Between 1912 and 1916, during the Republic of China period, a watchtower, theater, and Buddhist hall were added, bringing the manor close to its current form. After the liberation, the manor was used as a grain station, and in 1972, part of it became a class education exhibition hall. In 1981, the Luxian County People’s Government designated Qu’s Manor as a key cultural relics protection unit of Luxian County.

Qu’s Manor

Qu’s Manor in Luxian County covers an area of 30 mu, with the existing section spanning 12 mu. The entire complex is grand and majestic in scale. The manor faces northeast and backs onto Wuxian Mountain, with the Hushui River to its side. Its overall layout resembles a large ship: the rear garden’s flower-covered hill forms the “stern,” the front garden is the “bow,” and the stone memorial archway is like a towering “sail,” symbolizing “smooth sailing.” In front of the main gate stands a stone memorial archway carved with the motif “wild deer holding flowers” (homophonous with “prosperity in wealth and rank”). The central gate bears the inscription “Xing Lu” (Awakening Abode), written by Gao Weiran, a former Hanlin academician and censor, as well as an advisor to a puppet president. On either side are couplets penned by warlord Tan Yan in bold calligraphy: “Entering with harmony and exiting with brightness, our radiance illuminates the nation; Upholding righteousness and virtue, we dwell in peace and comfort.” The central architectural complex, built during the Daoguang reign, follows a symmetrical axial layout centered around an exquisitely decorated main hall, flanked by side halls, bedrooms, accounting rooms, studies, and wing rooms. The central structure features a hanging gable and post-and-lintel wooden frame, with upturned eaves, dark tiles, painted beams, and carved rafters. The theater and Buddhist hall, expanded in the early Republic of China period, are modern buildings that blend Chinese and Western styles, characterized by their dignified forms, intricate carvings, and splendid beauty. The manor’s exterior is enclosed by an 8-meter-high stone wall forming a closed space; above this rises an 8-meter-high fired brick wall, with four corner watchtowers—Beiji Tower, Dongping Tower, Nanji Tower, and Xiping Tower—each towering 22 meters high. The spatial organization, architectural form, and decorative elements of the manor all retain historical authenticity. It includes 48 courtyards of varying sizes and 180 rooms. The estate houses a theater, Buddhist hall, treasury, Phoenix Well, front garden, inner garden, rear garden, ponds, pavilions, fishing platforms, tennis courts, racetracks, and a hillside ancestral tomb complex... It stands as one of the more typical high-walled, watchtower-style residences still extant in the province, brimming with the vibrant vitality of traditional culture. In the early 1970s, following the “Rent Collection Courtyard” of Dayi’s Liu Wencai, it became Sichuan’s second class education exhibition hall, gaining fame across Bashu and earning the title “Jewel of Folk Architecture in Southern Sichuan.”

Qu’s Manor in Luxian County is a quintessential representation of the high-walled architectural culture of Chinese folk dwellings in southern Sichuan. It is one of the better-preserved residential complexes in Sichuan Province and a typical example among the dozens of manors in the Luxian area. Blending the architectural styles of both northern and southern China while also incorporating Central European influences, Qu’s Manor holds significant value for the study of Chinese folk architecture, folk art, folklore, local history, and the transformations of the era. The manor’s carvings, paintings, and decorations showcase unique artistic qualities, reflecting the humanistic thoughts and beliefs of the time. Its exquisite, unparalleled architectural artistry, which fuses Chinese and Western styles, continues to radiate enduring charm. Under the conditions of its time, the manor’s design encompassed various aspects including garden architecture and security defenses. The integration of northern and southern styles, the seamless fusion of Chinese and Western elements, and the cohesive layout—all combined with the tall, complex above- and below-ground defensive structures of the watchtowers—make its construction techniques highly worthy of exploration. Having witnessed the country’s journey from isolation to forced opening, from the Republic of China to the founding of New China, the manor’s tumultuous history mirrors the changes of an era and stands as a specimen of historical transformation.

Protected Area: With the outer edge of the manor’s wall as the baseline, the boundary extends 8 meters east to outside the main gate, 25 meters north to the junction of the earthen slope and paddy field, 150 meters west to the western edge of Tomb Hill, and 8 meters south to the edge of the paddy field.

Construction Control Zone: Extending from the protected area, it reaches 100 meters east to the paddy field north of Yu Peisheng’s residence, 150 meters north to the foundation of Qu Yibang’s Phoenix Mountain house, 50 meters west, and 60 meters south to the site of Wang Yingtian’s residence opposite.

Tips:

It is 18 kilometers from the Qinglong Expressway interchange to Qu’s Manor (on the secondary road of National Highway 321, with one gas station at the Qinglong Expressway interchange and another at Chengbei Xinfu Gas Station).

Route: Qinglong Expressway interchange — Fuci — Jiaming — Yusi — Fangdong — Qu’s Manor

Further Reading:

· Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units