The Residence of General Lai Enjue, the Zhenwei (Pacifying-the-Enemy) General

The Residence of General Lai Enjue, the Zhenwei General

The Residence of General Lai Enjue, the Zhenwei General, is located inside Lai Mansion Lane to the right of the South Gate of Dapeng Fortress. Constructed in the 24th year of the Daoguang reign of the Qing Dynasty (1844), it is a grand building with a total floor area of 2,500 square meters. The entrance is marked by a horizontal plaque inscribed with the five bold regular-script characters “Zhenwei General’s Residence.” In front of the gate are a pair of drum-shaped stone pedestals and a pair of stone lions. The eaves boards, beams, and other elements are decorated with ornate gold-lacquered wood carvings, featuring depictions of historical figures, floral and bird motifs, plants, as well as ink inscriptions of classical poetry. The residence is entered through a side gate and consists of three sets of three-courtyard, three-section layouts. The central section has three halls and two courtyards, with the side sections each having three halls, two courtyards, and ten rooms. The side wings are also arranged in three sections of three courtyards, with three halls, three courtyards, and twelve side rooms. Two front corridors are connected by moon gates, and the floors are paved with bricks, while the lower walls are built from blue bricks with stone bases. In front of the corridors are wing rooms, and both the main and side sections have front courtyards and side corridors. The side sections also feature rear courtyards with additional side rooms, and both the front and rear courtyards contain wells. The building materials include blue brick walls, red brick floors, wooden beams, and stone column bases. The roof is of the ying-shan (flush-gable) style, with grey ridges in the center.

The general’s residence is largely well-preserved, and its gold-lacquered wood carvings are particularly rare and valuable. In 1984, the Shenzhen Municipal People's Government designated it as a key cultural relics protection unit. Lai Enjue was a patriotic general who fought against colonial aggression. During the first battle of the Opium War—the Battle of Kowloon—he led his troops in a brave fight and achieved a resounding victory. In the winter of the 23rd year of the Daoguang reign (1843), he was promoted to the position of Viceroy of the Guangdong Navy.