The Liu Family Tiji Mansion

　　The overall structure of Chongde Hall consists of three parts: southern, central, and northern sections.

　　The central section of the building primarily features halls, chambers, and towers that embody traditional Confucian cultural ideals. The most distinctive feature is how the traditional Chinese architecture in the south and north is integrated with Western European Romanesque styles. Among them, the northern European-style façade is particularly spectacular, with the grand mansion demonstrating magnificent scale and exquisite brick carvings, wood carvings, and stone carvings.

　　The main hall is a traditional Chinese-style room, with a plaque inscribed “Chongde Hall” hanging in the center. On both sides are couplets on pillars and painted screens, while the central columns are so thick that it takes two people to encircle them. The main beam is adorned with a gold-plated motif symbolizing “Three Steps to Promotion,” and the beams, brackets, verandas, floor-to-ceiling windows, and floor windows are all carved with intricate auspicious patterns, reflecting the Liu family’s traditional elegance and refined taste.

　　In the second hall, there is a plaque inscribed with “Baoque Box” (Baoque Box implies steadfast honesty, loyalty, and integrity in accordance with righteous principles). Behind the residence, there used to be a grassy area that served as a tennis court, with a corner section used to raise dairy cows. A large bell tower once stood by the ponds to the east and west, housing a massive chiming clock whose sound could be heard far and wide. It has now been transformed into a nearly 300-square-meter garden, where trees and flowers are planted, rockeries are built, and white pine trees are cultivated. There is also a crescent-shaped pond for lotus cultivation, surrounded by pavilions, corridors, and other landscape features, complemented by moon-shaped benches for visitors to rest.

　　The owner of the house, Liu Tiqing, was the third son of Liu Yong, the wealthiest of the “Four Great Families” of Nanxun and a candidate official for the Zhili provincial government, honored with the third-rank title. Next to the house lies a Garden Lane. The name Garden Lane originated from the Hu family of Nanxun during the late Yuan Dynasty, who built a garden along this lane, hence the name. During the Qing Dynasty, the Zhuang family involved in the “Zhuang Family Historical Case” also lived here. After the case, the house was destroyed, and the Liu family built the “Tiji Mansion” on its former site.

　　The Liu Family Tiji Mansion