Mandarin's House, 19th century residential palace in São Lourenço, Macau.
Mandarin's House is a residential complex in São Lourenço, Macau, built from 1869 for Zheng Wenrui and enlarged by his son Zheng Guanying. It covers 4,000 square metres and consists of two courtyard-style blocks linked by a large inner courtyard. Grey brick walls rest on granite bases; the street facade shows a stone-block ground floor, red-brown shutters and a red plaque with gold Chinese characters above the door.
Built in 1869 by Zheng Wenrui with help from his son Zheng Guanying, the house was enlarged by Zheng Guanying and his brothers. In 1894 Zheng completed 'Shengshi Weiyan' (Words of Warning in Times of Prosperity) here, and in 1907 its sequel. By the 1990s the family had moved out and over 300 tenants lived in the complex; the government took over in 2001 and finished restoration in 2010.
The house is also known as Casa do Mandarim, the Mandarin's House, a name recalling Zheng Guanying's status as a Qing official. Its Cantonese layout of halls around courtyards is combined with Western classical details on ceilings, door and window lintels, cornices and rendered walls. The red plaque above the entrance bears gold Chinese characters.
Visitors can explore the estate through guided tours that lead through various courtyards, halls, and residential spaces. All rooms are accessible for viewing and show how inhabitants lived in the residence.
The house was badly damaged by a fire, and repairs took eight years. The government acquired it in 2001 and finished the full restoration in February 2010, when it reopened to the public.
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