Mansion of Prince Zhong of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, Historical residence in Suzhou, China
The Mansion of Prince Zhong of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom is a large residential complex from the 19th century in Suzhou, made up of reception halls, private quarters, and several garden courtyards. The different sections are linked by covered walkways that run across the whole grounds.
Li Xiucheng, one of the senior generals of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, had the complex built in 1860 on land that had once belonged to the famous Humble Administrator's Garden. After the fall of the Taiping state in the early 1860s, the property changed hands several times before it was recognized as a protected site.
The name comes from Li Xiucheng, titled Prince Zhong ("Loyal Prince") of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. Of the 495 painted panels once recorded, 343 survive, 323 of them Taiping-era originals; the beams carry motifs such as "phoenix among peonies", of which two panels remain on the main hall's ridge beams. The east route holds a theatre hall with a stage 8.65 m long and 0.96 m high.
The grounds are large, so comfortable shoes and enough time to walk through all the sections are a good idea. Mornings tend to be quieter, as tour groups usually arrive later in the day.
The rear hall's rear eave columns stand only one metre from the rear step columns, and its 7-metre rear wall rises 2 metres above the front porch purlin — an irregular form probably linked to the hall serving as the "holy hall" for Taiping worship. Of the original 495 painted panels, 343 survive, 323 of them Taiping-era originals.
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