The Former Residence of King Hu of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom

　　  Chen Kunshu ( ?–1864 ), from Guiping, Guangxi, joined the Taiping Rebellion’s Jintian Uprising in January 1851 during the first year of the Xianfeng reign of the Qing Dynasty. Renowned for his bravery in battle, he was hailed as the foremost valiant general under the command of the Loyal King Li Xiucheng. In the spring of 1862, the first year of the Tongzhi reign, he was stationed in Changzhou and bestowed the title “Deputy Minister of Rites of the Hall Front, Pillar of Heaven Supporting the Imperial Court, King Hu, Enjoying Ten Thousand Years.” In the third year of Tongzhi (1864), when Li Hongzhang led the Huai Army along with Gordon to besiege Changzhou, Chen led the city’s military and civilians in a bloody resistance for several months. Exhausted, he was captured and died a martyr’s death. The front gate hall, the sedan hall on the second level, and the main hall on the third level of the King Hu Residence have all been destroyed. The surviving U-shaped building within the brick-carved gate tower is the former inner residence of the royal mansion, covering an area of 588 square meters. It features a brick-and-wood structure, with seven rooms on both the north and south sides, each having two floors. The eaves are adorned with dragon, phoenix, and carp-leaping-over-the-dragon-gate tile decorations, reflecting the artistic characteristics of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. The wooden components of the rotating corridor, such as beams, pillars, and floor-length windows, are intricately carved with patterns including phoenixes, fish, rabbits, squirrels, dragonflies, grasshoppers, flat beans, gourds, grapes, melon vines, and other exquisitely designed motifs. The carvings are bold and forceful, with prominent lines and a strong three-dimensional effect, showcasing distinct artistic features of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. The King Hu Residence was restored in 1983 and opened to the public in February 1984, displaying historical relics and materials related to the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. In March of the same year, it was designated as a provincial-level cultural relics protection unit.