Former Residence of Football King Li Huitang

Former Residence of Football King Li Huitang

The former residence of Football King Li Huitang is a cultural relic protection unit of Guangdong Province.

The former residence of Li Huitang is a quadrangle building known as "Lianqing Building," located in Laolou Village, Xikeng Town, Wuhua County. It was built in the 18th year of the Guangxu reign

(1892) by his father, Li Haoru, and has now become a distinctive attraction in Wuhua that promotes the organic integration of tourism and football development. The residence is built in the common "Four-Point Gold" architectural style of Hakka areas, featuring a five-bay front, three-courtyard deep layout, with one wing building on each side, four four-story watchtowers at the corners, and a surrounding wall at the back. In front, there is a drying terrace, a screen wall, left and right turning gates, and a crescent-shaped pond. The walls are rammed with lime and sand, topped with overhanging gable wooden truss and tile roofs. The total land area is approximately 4,400 square meters, with a construction area of about 3,590 square meters. The eaves columns in the upper, middle, and lower halls are all octagonal plum-flower stone pillars, while the ground-floor eaves columns of the side wing buildings are round stone pillars, with the second floor featuring round wooden pillars. All window and door frames are made of stone, and the main gate, side gates, and turning gates bear regular script inscriptions. The screens, beams, and other components in the upper, middle, and lower halls, as well as the side wing buildings, are adorned with intricate gold-and-wood carvings of lions, phoenixes, mythical fish, flowers, plants, and scenes from folk tales. The right corridor room of the central structure served as Li Huitang’s childhood bedroom, while the dog hole by the gate of the right wing building was his childhood “goal” for practicing shots. The first room of the right wing building was where Li Huitang stayed when he returned to his hometown during the Anti-Japanese War to form a football team. In September 1994, the People’s Government of Wuhua County designated the former residence as a county-level cultural relic protection unit to facilitate public commemoration of the Football King. A small exhibition titled "Football King Li Huitang" is housed inside, attracting numerous overseas Chinese, compatriots from Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan, as well as visitors from all walks of life each year to learn about and honor the Football King’s remarkable legacy.

On November 8, 2008, the General Office of the People’s Government of Guangdong Province issued the "Notice on the Announcement of the Fifth Batch of Guangdong Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Units," listing Li Huitang’s former residence among the Guangdong Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Units.

Li Huitang, a renowned football player in modern Chinese sports history. He began his football career at the age of 17 and was active in Asian football during the 1920s and 1930s, affectionately hailed as the “Asian Football King” by fans and Hong Kong media. He was not only one of the rare professional Chinese football players before the war but also widely recognized as China’s top footballer of his time. Li Huitang passed away due to illness on July 4, 1979, at the age of 74. According to statistics, he scored a total of 1,860 goals in various football matches, ranking alongside Brazil’s Leônidas, German star Gerd Müller, football king Pelé, and Brazilian legend Romário... More information about Li Huitang++

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of Guangdong Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Units