Prince Gong's Mansion 恭王府Gōngwángfǔ

Why go to Prince Gong's Mansion

A few minutes' walk from the Shichahai lakes, Prince Gong's Mansion is one of the best-preserved Qing-dynasty mansions in Beijing, now run as a museum. Walk north through its courtyard houses, some with exhibitions on the mansion's history, into the garden of rockeries, ponds and pavilions, and look out for the grand opera house.

The story

The mansion was built in 1777 for Heshen, the Qianlong Emperor's favourite and one of the wealthiest officials at court; in 1799 the next emperor, Jiaqing, had him put to death for corruption and seized his property. In the 1850s it passed to Prince Gong, a brother of the Xianfeng Emperor and a leading late-Qing statesman, whose title, meaning 'respectful', it still carries.

What to see at Prince Gong's Mansion

• Rear Tall Building 后罩楼: A two-storey building about 160 metres long divides the mansion from its garden and closes the courtyards on the north.
• Dule Peak 独乐峰: A great rock stands at the centre of the garden's entrance, as a screen before the pond and halls.
• Bat Pond 蝠池: A pond shaped like a bat, an auspicious symbol because the Chinese word for bat sounds like 'fortune'.
• Grand Opera House 大戏楼: The garden's big roofed theatre, still used for Peking opera and other regional opera forms, and for the annual intangible-heritage season each June.

How to visit Prince Gong's Mansion

Enter at Gate 1 and walk north through the mansion's courtyards, which hold permanent exhibitions on its history, then climb through the garden's rockeries to the opera house. Two to three hours is comfortable; the garden is the highlight, so don't linger too long in the front courtyards. The mansion is closed on Mondays.

How to get to Prince Gong's Mansion

Take Metro Line 6 to Beihai North, leave by Exit B and follow the signposted route through the hutongs to the museum's Gate 1, a walk of a few minutes, or take a short taxi ride from Tian'anmen.

Where to stay

The hutongs around Shichahai and Gulou are the natural base: the mansion is a short walk from the lakes, and you can eat and wander in the evening.

What to eat

• Pea-flour cake (wāndòuhuáng) 豌豆黄: A soft, pale-yellow sweet of pea flour once served at court, sold at snack shops at nearby Huguosi.
• Mung-bean drink and fried ring (dòuzhī, jiāoquān) 豆汁和焦圈: Fermented, sour-grey mung-bean drink with a crisp fried dough ring, an acquired Beijing taste found at Huguosi snack shops.

Tips for visiting Prince Gong's Mansion

• Buy tickets online in advance under your real name, through the museum's website or WeChat account, from ten days ahead; if you book with a passport, exchange it for an entry pass at the visitor service centre on the day.
• The mansion is closed on Mondays except public holidays.
• In the garden, look for the stele carved with the character fu ('good fortune') in the Kangxi Emperor's calligraphy.

Nearby

• Shichahai 什刹海 under 10 km
  Three linked lakes ringed by hutongs and lakeside bars, with open-air skating in winter
• Drum and Bell Towers 钟鼓楼 under 10 km
  Beijing's old timekeeping towers, with drum performances and views over the hutong roofs
• Beihai Park 北海公园 under 10 km
  A former imperial lake garden crowned by a white Tibetan-style stupa on its island
• Forbidden City 故宫 under 10 km
  Six centuries of imperial power behind vermilion walls in the heart of Beijing
• Temple of Confucius and Imperial Academy 孔庙和国子监 under 10 km
  Courtyards of stone steles naming imperial exam graduates, beside the old Imperial Academy
• Lama Temple 雍和宫 under 10 km
  Incense-filled courtyards and an 18-metre sandalwood Buddha in a working monastery

Also within 30 km: Guo Moruo Residence 郭沫若故居 (under 10 km), Mei Lanfang Memorial Museum 梅兰芳纪念馆 (under 10 km), Former Residence of Soong Ching-ling 宋庆龄故居 (under 10 km), Church of the Saviour (Beitang) 西什库教堂 (under 10 km), Former National Library of Peiping 北平图书馆旧址 (under 10 km), Dagaoxuan Hall 大高玄殿 (under 10 km).

On the map

Open Prince Gong's Mansion on the illustrated map to see the terrain around it, what else is close, and to add it to a trip and plan the days.

Learn more

• Wikipedia
• Official website
• Wikipedia (Chinese)