Manhan Prince's Mansion

Manhan Prince's Mansion

The Manhan Prince's Mansion is a national key cultural relic protection unit.

Over the more than 200 years since the Torghut Mongols settled in Hejing, they built many palaces and temples, some of which have become immortal works of art. The Manhan Prince's Mansion, located to the north of the county town, is one of the most representative of these palaces.

The Manhan Prince's Mansion Ethnic Museum is a key cultural relic protection unit of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It is located in the center of Hejing County Town, 80 kilometers from Korla City. It is a thematic museum showcasing the history and culture of the "Eastern Return" and the Chawuhu Gully culture. The museum includes two parts: the historical culture of the Torghut people before and after the "Eastern Return," along with architectural structures, artworks, and artifacts unearthed from the Chawuhu Gully culture. The ethnic museum was formerly known as the Manhan Prince's Mansion, also called the Prince’s Mansion. In 1990, it was renamed the Ethnic Museum. Completed in 1927, it is a Sino-European-style palace building with a unique design, covering an area of 8,510 square meters. It served as the last prince’s mansion and league chief’s office of the Torghut tribe, and at one time was the political, economic, cultural, and religious center, as well as the highest authority, of the Southern Old Torghut tribe. The main structure consists of the central hall and the eastern and western palaces, all facing south. The central hall is a two-story building where the khan and league chief exercised their power. The hall enshrines the spirit tablets of successive khans and Buddha statues. The eastern and western palaces house the bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens, entertainment rooms, and storerooms of the Manhan Prince. The entire complex is built of wood and earth. There are 60 rooms of various sizes, with a total construction area of nearly 1,000 square meters. In front of the Manhan Prince's Mansion is a large iron gate, and outside the gate there is also a temple. The mansion is surrounded by high walls, watchtowers, and fortifications. Over time, especially during the Cultural Revolution, the prince’s mansion lost its former grandeur. It is currently under restoration.

In May 2013, the Manhan Prince's Mansion was listed as part of the seventh batch of national key cultural relic protection units.

Further reading:

· Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relic Protection Units