Yi Prince’s Mansion

　　The Yi Prince’s Mansion is located on the north side of West Chang’an Avenue in Xicheng District, west of Fuyou Street. It was the residence of Yongxuan, the eighth son of Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty. It is a cultural heritage site under the protection of Xicheng District.

　　The first prince, Yongxuan, was the eighth son of Emperor Gaozong (Qianlong). In the 44th year of Qianlong’s reign (1779), he was granted the title of Prince of Yi Commandery, and in the 4th year of Jiaqing’s reign (1799), he was promoted to Prince of Yi. He passed away at the age of 88 in the 12th year of Daoguang’s reign (1832) — a rare case of longevity — and was posthumously honored as “Shen.” His eldest son, Mianzhi, inherited the title of commandery prince. Hence, this place is also known as the Yi Commandery Prince’s Mansion. According to “Xiaoting Xulu,” this site was originally the residence of Geng Zhongming, consisting of 314 rooms and covering a large area. Today, the area south of the western entrance of Fuyou Street, including the current Culture Bureau and the Telegraph Building, were all part of its grounds. In the late Qing Dynasty, the Ministry of Posts and Communications and the Ministry of Finance were built on the site of the mansion, and the descendants of the Yi Prince, Yuqi, moved to Qigong Mansion on the north side of Xizhimen Street. The remaining corridors and pavilions in the courtyard of the current Culture Bureau are generally believed to be remnants of the original Yi Prince’s Mansion garden.

　　Yongxuan was the son of Empress Xiaoshujia, and a full brother to Prince Lüduan Yongcheng and Prince Chengzhe Yongli. In the 44th year of Qianlong’s reign (1779), he was granted the title of Prince of Yi Commandery, and in the 4th year of Jiaqing’s reign (1799), he was elevated to Prince of Yi. He passed away in the 12th year of Daoguang’s reign (1832), and his eldest son, Mianzhi, inherited the title of Prince of Yi Commandery. The title was gradually downgraded over generations, and by the fifth generation, Yuqi inherited the title of Duke of Zhen Guo in the 28th year of Guangxu’s reign (1902).

　　The mansion was reconstructed in the 44th year of Qianlong’s reign on the site of the former residence of Prince Jingnan, Geng Zhongming. Geng Zhongming’s grandson, Geng Jingzhong, was executed in the 20th year of Kangxi’s reign (1682) due to the “Revolt of the Three Feudatories,” and the residence was confiscated and granted to Yongxuan. The larger architectural complex formed a trapezoidal courtyard southwest of Fuyou Street, wider in the south and narrower in the north, extending eastward along the line of Hui Chang Street (Fuyou Street) in a diagonal shape, and reaching west to Hebao Lane. The main gate was located at the southeast corner, and from there to the rear building, there were five courtyards in total. When Yongxuan rebuilt the residence according to the standards of a prince’s mansion, he expanded the area west of Hebao Lane into the estate and constructed a garden. Originally, there were 253 rooms, with grand and deep courtyards and especially beautiful pavilions and gardens. In the 32nd year of Guangxu’s reign, the Qing government relocated the descendants of the Yi Prince, Duke of Zhen Guo Yuqi, to the north side of Xizhimen Inner Street, and rebuilt the site as the Ministry of Posts and Communications and the Imperial Guard. After the Republic of China, it was once used as the Ministry of Communications, the Ministry of Finance, then became the site of the Beiping Broadcasting Station and the Jibei Electric Power Company. After 1949, it was used by the Beijing Municipal People’s Government. The complete appearance of the mansion can no longer be seen; only the eastern two-courtyard quadrangle, a section of the estate’s dividing wall, and 0 remain.

　　Note: The former sites of the Yi Prince’s Mansion include the Energy Ministry Guesthouse and the Beijing Culture Bureau.

　　Source: Beijing Municipal Commission of Tourism Development