Charming Anhui

Former Residence of Li Hongzhang

Updated: 2010-05-13 11:06

Li Hongzhang (1823-1901), styled himself Shaoquan, was an important minister in the late Qing Dynasty (1616-1911).

Admission ticket price:   50 yuan per person   Free ticket: children below 1.2 meters  Tour guide fee:    40 yuan

His former residence sits in the middle section of Huaihe Road. This spectacular building complex is extensively decorated with carved beams and painted pillars. The complex consists of, proceeding from south to north in succession, the gate, front hall, central hall and Zoumalou Building (for unmarried young ladies). As the largest and best preserved former residence of dignitaries in Hefei, it has been listed as an important cultural relic unit under provincial- level protection.

The exhibition hall houses numerous precious pictures and items, illustrating the changes in Li Hongzhang's life - Mr. Li became an official in his twenties, engaged in military affairs in his thirties, assumed a significant role in the Qing court in his middle age, and advocated and organized the Westernization Movement in his latter years.

The central hall and Zoumalou Building, by reproducing their original appearance, give a true impression of the daily life of Li's family and how they treated their guests. The Exhibition on the Relationship between the Huai Bloc and Modern China in the east hall fully demonstrates that the Huai-Bloc led by Li Hongzhang made a significant contribution to the military, economic and cultural life of modern China.

Source: Anhui Tour Guide