Former Residence of Cheong Fatt Tze

Former Residence of Cheong Fatt Tze

The Former Residence of Cheong Fatt Tze is a National AAA-level Tourist Attraction and a Guangdong Provincial Cultural Heritage Site.

A Guangdong Provincial-level Cultural Heritage Site — The Former Residence of Cheong Fatt Tze in Dabu Hakka Folk Culture Village is located in Chelong Village, Xihe Town, Dabu County, Guangdong Province. It is 17 kilometers from the county seat of Dabu. This is a tourist attraction that combines folk culture with natural scenery, as well as sightseeing and recreation. The former residence of Cheong Fatt Tze, known as the “Kwong Lok Mansion” and the “Yun Lok Mansion”.

The “Kwong Lok Mansion” was built in the 34th year of the Guangxu reign during the Qing Dynasty (1908 AD). The entire structure faces west and is constructed with earth and wood. It features a rugged yet refined style, grand and magnificent, covering a construction area of 4,180 square meters. It is a typical Hakka enclosed dragon house laid out in three halls, four wings, and one enclosure, as well as a stunning example of a classic Chinese garden-style mansion, representing the opulent architecture of China during the 18th and 19th centuries. The entire building is richly decorated with carved beams and painted rafters. Whether bedrooms, studies, main halls, thick wooden doors, courtyards, or gardens — all exude extraordinary splendor. The interior also houses many rare items such as porcelain, statues, carvings, tapestries, embroidery, and antiques. Across the street are five blue houses, originally servant quarters connected to the main residence. Terraced vegetable fields, riverbanks, sandy shores, green bamboo, trees, old oxen, and shepherd boys create a picturesque pastoral scene.

Cheong Fatt Tze once served as the Consul General of Singapore, held the official rank of Guanglu Daifu (a first-rank minister), and was received by Emperor Guangxu, Empress Dowager Cixi, Sun Yat-sen, Yuan Shikai, Zhang Xueliang, and U.S. President Woodrow Wilson. Cheong Fatt Tze was not only a business magnate but also a renowned patriotic overseas Chinese leader, recognized as one of the Eight Sages of the Hakka people. His spirit of hard work and nation-building through industry, along with his patriotic philosophy that “As a member of the Chinese nation, one must serve the Chinese people,” have always been widely praised. The residence hosts exhibition halls such as the Cheong Fatt Tze Museum, the Official Culture Museum, and the Wine Culture Museum. These display Qing Dynasty artifacts including dragon robes, phoenix robes, phoenix crowns, official sedan chairs, weapons, as well as large wine barrels, jars, pots, pitchers, and cups stored in underground cellars over a century ago.

On July 17, 2002, it was listed as part of the Fourth Batch of Guangdong Provincial Cultural Heritage Sites.

Location: 50 meters south of Chelong Road, Dabu County, Meizhou City, Guangdong Province

Cheong Fatt Tze

1840-1916

(1840–1916), born as Zhenxun, originally named Zhaoxie, courtesy name Fatt Tze, hails from Dabu County, Guangdong Province. He was the founder of Yantai Changyu Wine Company and a famous patriotic overseas Chinese and national industrialist in modern China. His father, Zhang Lanxuan, a scholar from the Qing Dynasty’s Daoguang era, made a living teaching and practicing medicine, and had four sons, with Cheong Fatt Tze being the second. Due to poverty in his childhood, he studied under his father for three years before dropping out. In 1856, he traveled alone overseas to Batavia, Netherlands (now Jakarta, Indonesia), where he apprenticed at a paper shop and later ran an independent liquor business... For more detailed information on Cheong Fatt Tze, click here ++

Chelong Village: Located in the southern part of Xihe Town, Dabu County, Meizhou City. The village administers 7 villager groups, with 252 registered households and a population of 816. The total area is 3.33 square kilometers, with cultivated land spanning 221 mu. The average annual temperature is 26°C, and annual rainfall is approximately 1,590 mm, characterized by a warm climate and moderate precipitation. Major cash crops include flue-cured tobacco, watermelon, honey pomelo, and loquat. The village’s distinctive economic income comes from these crops, with the total rural economic income of the previous year reaching 6.9 million yuan. ... For more detailed information on Chelong Village, click here ++

Further Reading:

· Fourth Batch of Guangdong Provincial Cultural Heritage Sites