Prince Li Mansion

　　Destination Introduction
　　The Prince Li Mansion is situated on the west side of South Huangchenggen Street near Xi’anmen in Xicheng District, extending from Dajiangfang Hutong in the south to Banshipu Hutong in the north, covering an area of approximately 30 hectares. Among the many princely mansions built during the Qing Dynasty, the largest were the Prince Li Mansion and the Prince Yu Mansion. There is an old Beijing saying: “The houses of Prince Li, the walls of Prince Yu,” which shows just how extensive the buildings of the Prince Li Mansion were.

　　　　The first Prince Li was Daišan, the second son of Nurhaci, the founding emperor of the Qing Dynasty. From a young age, Daišan accompanied his father in military campaigns and achieved remarkable feats in major battles such as the capture of Fushun, Liaoyang, and Shenyang. He was once bestowed the title “Guying Batulu.” In the 43rd year of the Wanli era (1615), the Eight Banners were officially established. Nurhaci took command of the two Yellow Banners himself, while Daišan commanded the two Red Banners, making him the only person other than Nurhaci to lead two banners. Nurhaci once considered Daišan as his successor, but due to the involvement of Daišan’s son, Shuotuo, in a secret plot to defect to the Ming Dynasty, Daišan lost his claim to the throne. Although he fell from power, Daišan still retained considerable influence. He played an unparalleled role in key moments such as the succession of his brother Hong Taiji and his nephew Fulin to the throne, and the stabilization of the political situation. Not long after Emperor Shunzhi of the Qing Dynasty entered the pass, Daišan died in Beijing at the age of 66. Emperor Shunzhi granted him a reward of ten thousand taels of silver and erected a stele in his honor. Emperor Kangxi posthumously honored him with the title “Lie” (Martyred).

　　　　The site of the Prince Li Mansion was originally the residence of Zhou Kui, an in-law of the Chongzhen Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, and later came into the possession of Daišan. The lower parts of the current main hall doors are carved with cloud and dragon motifs in the Ming Dynasty style. The mansion is known for its grand scale, vast grounds, multiple gates and courtyards, and deep, layered layouts. The mansion is divided into three sections: the central route includes the main gate, the second gate, the Hall of Silver Peace (Yin’an Dian), the connecting gate, the shrine hall, and the rear building; the western part is a garden with pavilions and terraces arranged ingeniously; the eastern section houses the rooms where the prince and his family rested. In the 12th year of the Jiaqing era (1807), the Prince Li Mansion caught fire, and was later rebuilt under the direction of then-Prince Li Zhao? with a grant of ten thousand taels of silver from Emperor Jiaqing, largely following the original design.

　　　　The main structures of the mansion are divided into two groups: the front and the rear. The front section includes the main gate (palace gate), the main hall and its wing rooms, the rear hall and its side halls. The rear section forms an independent courtyard, with the inner gate (second palace gate), the front hall, the rear hall, and their side rooms at the front, and the rear building at the back.

　　　　The Prince Li family was extremely prominent during the Qing Dynasty. Of the Eight Iron-Capped Princes of the early Qing, three came from the Prince Li lineage: Prince Li Daišan, Prince Keqin Yue’uo (Daišan’s eldest son), and Prince Cheng’en Le’ede’ahun (Daišan’s grandson). Three generations of this family held hereditary titles without reduction. In addition, two others were granted the title of prince, one became a Beizi (noble), and one was made a Fuguo Gong (supporter duke)! These honors were beyond the reach of most other imperial clan members.

　　　　Among the later hereditary Princes Li, several gained fame. For example, the virtuous Prince Li Jieshu was a renowned general of the Qing Dynasty, who served as the Imperial Commissioner and achieved great military successes in the campaigns against Geng Jingzhong and in guarding against Galdan. The ninth-generation Prince Li Zhao? had a passion for literature and history, and authored the books “Xiaoting Miscellaneous Records” and “Xiaoting Sequel.” These works documented a wealth of political, military, cultural, and institutional information about the Qing Dynasty, and remain valuable historical resources for the study of Qing history. In the late Qing Dynasty, Prince Li Shiduo served successively as an Inner Minister, Grand Councilor, and head of the Grand Council, handling state affairs and was granted double the salary of a prince. Shiduo’s son, the last Prince Li, Chenghou, loved raising snakes and hedgehogs, earning him the nickname “Mad Prince.” The Prince Li lineage lasted for thirteen generations, from the first year of the Chongde era (1636) to three years after the fall of the Qing Dynasty (1914), spanning 278 years. It is known as the “Number One Prince of the Qing Dynasty”!

　　　　In 1927, descendants of the Prince Li rented the front part of the mansion to the North China Academy. This arrangement continued until the founding of the People’s Republic of China. The North China University trained a large number of cadres for the national takeover of government and enterprise units in North China. After fulfilling its historical mission, the university was converted into office space for the Ministry of Internal Affairs (later renamed the Ministry of Civil Affairs). Most of the central route buildings are still preserved, retaining much of their original scale, while the rest have been modified and repurposed. Nonetheless, it remains one of the better-preserved princely mansions. In 1984, it was designated as a Beijing Municipal Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

　　　　Location: On the west side of South Huangchenggen Street in Xicheng District

　　　　Area: 30 hectares

　　 Beijing Xicheng District

　　(No images available at present. Contributions welcome.)