Zhuangwang Mansion

　　    Zhuangwang Mansion, located at No. 82 Baidi Road, Nankai District, Tianjin, was originally the family temple of Li Chun, the Jiangxi Military Governor of the Beiyang Government. It is one of the largest

　　    surviving antique-style buildings in the city. It is a municipal-level cultural relics protection unit and a key protected historical architectural site in Tianjin. Research indicates that its predecessor was the Zhuang Prince’s Mansion in Beijing, an authentic imperial-style architectural complex. As the only ancient building complex outside Beijing with Qing imperial characteristics, it is known as the “Little Forbidden City of Tianjin” or the “Tianjin Zhuangwang Mansion.”
　　    Under effective preservation efforts, after more than a year of restoration, the current Zhuangwang Mansion scenic area covers nearly 20,000 square meters. It maintains the standard Qing official architectural style of “gray bricks, green tiles, and red gates,” featuring from south to north a large screen wall, a front garden, and a three-courtyard quadrangle.
　　    Tianjin’s “Zhuangwang Mansion” is positioned as a cultural tourism destination featuring a royal mansion theme, supplemented by intangible cultural heritage exhibitions and performances. Highlights include a series of royal culture-themed exhibitions, real-scene performances of royal life, traditional Chinese folk weddings, and interactive amusement activities. Layout Planning     According to the planning scheme, this cultural tourism scenic area is spatially divided into five parts: the introductory space (main gate and garden), First Courtyard, Second Courtyard, Third Courtyard,

　　    and a green belt. Among them, the royal garden within the mansion spans nearly 9,000 square meters and is designed in the style of an imperial garden.
　　    Walking up the high steps from the side of Baidi Road, the first thing that catches your eye is a spacious courtyard. Large halls face each other from north to south in the center, flanked by smaller east and west wing rooms on both sides. Winding corridors extend deep into the rear courtyard. The square floor tiles remain intact, some polished shiny by frequent foot traffic. In the corners, patches of lush green moss have climbed up the base of the walls over time. Looking up, the green glazed tiles on the hall roofs are neatly arranged along the ridges, while the decorative ridge beasts—such as the chiwen and other mythical creatures—at either end stand guard serenely in their eternal positions. Their sense of duty seems unchanged despite the passage of centuries.
　　    According to Wei Kejing’s research, this Li Chun Ancestral Hall was designed to face south, so the main entrance should actually begin at the screen wall on the southern side of the compound. “Many people assume the southeast corner entrance on Baidi Road is the main gate, but that’s incorrect.”
　　    “Although the buildings of the Li Chun Ancestral Hall follow the architectural style of a royal mansion, the layout was reversed during its reconstruction. Originally, the Zhuangwang Mansion, like other royal mansions, would have had the residential area first and the garden afterward. But the Li Chun Ancestral Hall did the opposite—it placed the garden right at the entrance, with the other four courtyards (originally four, though the last has since been replaced by modern buildings) built after the garden. This is also one reason why some mistake the front gate for the main entrance.” The Li Chun Ancestral Hall took 10 years to build, covering an area of 25,600 square meters with a rectangular layout. It consists of a garden, screen wall, stone memorial archway, stone arch bridge, main gate, front hall, middle hall, rear hall, side halls, and corridors. The entire structure is brightly colored, with blue tiles and red railings, presenting a magnificent and imposing sight.
　　    Although the original screen wall of the building remains, it is now obscured by later-built bungalows, making its original appearance unclear. Only the two stone lions guarding the gate still sit in place. Touching the smooth stone lions, Wei Kejing told reporters, “These two lions date back to the Ming Dynasty—they were likely inherited when the Zhuangwang Mansion took over the residence of Liu Jin. Who would’ve thought they’d end up in Tianjin centuries later?” Mr. Wei explained that the first-generation Zhuang Prince was a close relative of Nurhaci. After the Manchu entered the pass, the Zhuang Prince’s mansion was originally the residence of Liu Jin, the powerful eunuch of the Ming Dynasty.
　　    Passing through the memorial archway at the entrance, you’ll find stone turtles carrying steles, and behind them lies a... (text missing). There is no horizontal inscribed board above, making it easy to overlook. To read the inscription, you have to crouch down. One of these steles is among them, though due to its age, the text has become blurred. People in the past often used such steles to record merits and deeds. Now, no one knows what’s written on them.
　　    Crossing the garden, there is an unassuming small bridge up ahead. Beneath the slightly arched stone bridge lies a narrow moat that once protected the estate. After crossing the bridge, you arrive at the main gate of the Li Chun Ancestral Hall. Just as you’re about to casually walk across, Wei Kejing stops you. “Do you think there’s anything special about this little bridge?” he asks. “No, not really!” You look left, right, up, and down—the bridge still seems very simple. “You’ve seen the Golden Water Bridge in front of Beijing’s Tiananmen Gate, right? This bridge here is designed just like that—it’s actually a scaled-down version of the ‘Golden Water Bridge.’ In the past, only the gates of imperial palaces could have such bridges; having them at any other residence was prohibited.”

　　    Fortunately, the Li Chun Ancestral Hall was built after the fall of the Qing Dynasty, or else its builder might have faced execution. It’s said that the grand construction at the site caught the attention of high-ranking government officials at the time, and even Yuan Shikai reportedly inquired about it. Perhaps due to pressure from Yuan Shikai, Li Chun publicly referred to it as the Li family ancestral hall rather than admitting it was his private residence.
　　

　　    Address: No. 82 Baidi Road, Nankai District, Tianjin
　　

　　    Opening Hours: 9:00 – 17:00

　　    Transportation: Take bus routes 609, 640, 849, 859, etc., and get off at Nankai Cultural Palace Station.