Houdewei Mansion

Houdewei Mansion

Houdewei Mansion is a protected cultural heritage site of Guangzhou.

Houdewei Mansion is located within the Guangzhou Gardening Industry, Agriculture, and Commerce Joint Company in Xinzhou Town, Guangzhou. It was the residence of Li Fulin, known as Houdewei. Covering an area of 13,334 square meters, it is commonly referred to as "Twenty Mu."

The mansion combines an orchard, residential buildings, and a watchtower, and was built in the 10th year of the Republic of China (1921). Surrounded by water on all sides, it resembles a small island. The main structures include the main building, the Farmhand Building, the waterside pavilion, and the gatehouse. The main building is constructed of reinforced concrete. Originally, the entrance of the main building featured a retractable drawbridge, which has now been replaced with a concrete bridge. The ground floor’s main entrance is framed with granite, and equipped with an iron-made “tanglong” (a type of traditional door bolt). Inside is the main hall. Stairs are located on both sides, featuring arched windows. At each of the four corners of the rooftop, there is a watchtower that extends one meter out from the outer wall, with observation holes around and beneath the towers. Other auxiliary buildings, such as the waterside pavilion, are well-preserved.

Another residence of Li Fulin is located within the district government complex on Bao’gang Avenue in present-day Haizhu District. It is a four-story Western-style building in the Baroque architectural style. Though well-preserved, its exterior is now entirely covered with gray ceramic tile strips.

Li Fulin (1878–1953), a Kuomintang military officer originally from a bandit background, joined the Tongmenghui in his early years and led militia forces in the Xinhai Revolution. He later occupied the area south of the Pearl River in Guangzhou, and held positions such as commander of the National Revolutionary Army and mayor of Guangzhou. He passed away in Hong Kong in 1953.

In 1999, the Guangzhou Municipal People's Government designated it as a cultural heritage protection unit.