Jishan Mountain Retreat

　　Situated in Datian Village, Guanqiao Town, Huazhou City, this was the home of Liu Chun, a tribute student during the Daoguang era (1821–1850) of the Qing Dynasty and known locally as the “Ji Gong of Huazhou.” The estate features a traditional three-courtyard quadrangle layout covering an area of 90,000 square meters. The main structure consists of three courtyards with a total of 10 halls and 72 rooms, enclosed by three layers of brick walls with four watchtowers built at the corners. The central gate of the front courtyard is adorned with a large plaque inscribed with “Jishan Mountain Retreat.” The middle hall of the second courtyard is five bays wide and two bays deep, flanked symmetrically by wings on the east and west sides—guest rooms to the west and a study to the east—both connected by corridors. The rear hall of the back courtyard is two bays wide and one bay deep, with bedrooms and storage rooms on either side. Over 50 auxiliary buildings of various kinds are situated on both sides of the main structure. The walls of the main buildings are built with strip stones up to the window sills, while the courtyards, walkways, corridors, and steps throughout the complex are all paved with strip stones, and the wooden pillars rest on drum-shaped stone bases.

　　Upon entering the residence, one is struck by the abundance of stone used throughout, renowned across the region for its sheer volume. Adjacent to the house are four landscaped gardens—flower, fruit, bamboo, and vegetable—arranged in an orderly fashion, blending the mountain retreat harmoniously into a setting of greenery, trees, and blossoms. The entire architectural complex is uniquely designed, grand in scale, and represents the only surviving fortress-like manor estate architecture in western Guangdong.