Courtyard No. 7 and No. 9, Huan’ensi Houjie

Courtyard No. 7 and No. 9, Huan’ensi Houjie

Courtyard No. 7 and No. 9, Huan’ensi Houjie is a protected cultural heritage site of Beijing.

Courtyard No. 7 and No. 9, Huan’ensi Houjie is located at No. 7 Huan’ensi Houjie, Dongcheng District. This residence combines a traditional Chinese courtyard with Western-style buildings. At its center stands a Western-style building, in front of which is a circular pool with a fountain, adorned with stone carvings taken from the Old Summer Palace. Southeast of the pool stands a granite Western-style arched pavilion supported by ribbed columns. Further east lies a group of rockeries and antique-style structures; to the north of the pool is the main building, and to the west is a rear Chinese-style courtyard.

This Sino-Western hybrid residence was originally the mansion of the second son of Prince Qing during the Qing Dynasty. It is said that he married a famous courtesan named Hong Baobao and, in an effort to please her, built this eclectic home according to her tastes. After the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, it served as Chiang Kai-shek’s field headquarters. After the liberation, it became the site of the North China Bureau of the Chinese Communist Party.

Further reading:

· Third Batch of Municipal Cultural Heritage Protection Units in Beijing