Former residence of Li Hongzhang

Li Hongzhang's former residence is the home of Li Hongzhang, a military minister in the late Qing Dynasty. It is a typical residential building in Jianghuai area in the late Qing Dynasty, covering an area of 2500 square meters, with a total of five entrances. It is the only remaining largest former residence of celebrities in Hefei.

Born in Hefei and buried in his hometown, Li Hongzhang is not only the most controversial historical figure in modern Chinese history, but also an important military and political official in the late Qing Dynasty who has influenced modern China for nearly half a century.

Former residence of Li Hongzhang

Li Hongzhang's former residence, also known as Li family's old house, Li Fu and Li Hongzhang's residence, is located at No. 208, middle section of Huaihe Road Pedestrian Street, Luyang District, Hefei City, Anhui Province. It is the residence of Li Hongzhang, a famous official in the late Qing Dynasty. It is a typical residential building in Jianghuai area in the late Qing Dynasty.

Li Hongzhang's former residence, covering a total area of 3500 square meters, is composed of Li Fu and Huai Department exhibition hall. Li Fu covers an area of 2000 square meters, and Huai Department exhibition hall covers an area of more than 1500 square meters. From south to north, Li's mansion is divided into five entrances, which are the foyer, the front hall, the middle hall and the zoumazhuanxinlou.

Li Hongzhang's former residence is one of the "top ten scenic spots" in Hefei city and the preferred scenic spot in the hearts of citizens. It is listed as a national key cultural relics protection unit and a national AAAA scenic spot.

Evolution of construction

The ancestors of the Li family moved from Jiangxi to MODIAN in Hefei and built their ancestral home.

In August of the eighth year of emperor Wenzong of the Qing Dynasty (1858), Chen Yucheng, a general of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, led his troops to conquer Luzhou and burned Li Hongzhang's ancestral home.

From 1862 to 1874, Li Hongzhang and his brothers bought a lot of real estate in Hefei. Shenzhai compound can cover half of the street in the middle of Huaihe Road, which was called "half of Lifu Street".

In the 1950s, the street facing part of Li Hongzhang's former residence was transformed into Huaihe department store and other stores respectively. The house in the back was first used by the people's Bank of Northern Anhui and the people's Bank of Anhui Province, and then it was transferred to the industrial and Commercial Bank of Hefei and used as a dormitory.

In September 1999, Li Hongzhang's former residence was officially opened to the public.

In 2005, another 1300 square meters of antique two-story building was added to the east side of the former residence as the exhibition hall to show the influence of Huaixi group on Modern China, making the whole area of the former residence reach more than 3000 square meters.

Architectural pattern

Li Hongzhang's former residence, covering a total area of 3500 square meters, is composed of Li Fu and Huai Department exhibition hall. Li Fu covers an area of 2000 square meters, and Huai Department exhibition hall covers an area of more than 1500 square meters. From south to north, Li's mansion is divided into five entrances, which are the foyer, the front hall, the middle hall and the zoumazhuanxinlou. It belongs to the literati and officialdom style residence, courtyard and study.

Main buildings

hall

In the middle of the hall is a screen with a plaque on it, which reads "Jun Heng Du Hu", which means Li Hongzhang is a good official. These four words were given by Emperor Guangxu at his 70th birthday to praise his contributions to the Qing Empire. The hall is a transition hall for visitors to have a rest later. It serves as an exhibition hall for Li Hongzhang's life. Pictures, materials and objects related to Li Hongzhang are displayed in the hall.

Zhongting

The central hall, also known as Fu Shou hall, is 9 meters high. It is the largest private residential hall in the late Qing Dynasty in Jianghuai area. Each lattice door is carved with exquisite patterns, and the beams are all dowels without a nail. Both ends of the beam are carved into the shape of elephant heads, implying auspiciousness. "She Taijun's birthday" is carved on the beam above. The East and West wings are the study of Li's descendants. There are ancient clocks, vases and mirrors on the long table above the middle hall, implying "life-long peace" of the house. In the center of the central hall, four wooden pillars just form a bay, with one bay on the left and one bay on the left. In addition, the East and West Wing rooms form a pattern of three bright and five dark, which is quite the architectural characteristics of the rich and luxurious houses in Jianghuai area. The East chamber is a study, in which the Bogu frame is a "bridge style", and the left and right parts can overlap and coincide. This idea originated from the ancient theory of complementary Yin and Yang. The nanmu bookshelf on the left is just right for the twenty four histories.

Miss building

There is a wall between the lady's building and the front yard. The door in the middle of the wall is what people used to say in the past: "if the gate doesn't come out, the second gate doesn't step.". The walls and doors separate the lady's building from the outside, and men are strictly forbidden to enter the second half door. Miss building, also known as "Zoumalou", is the residence of Li family. The old embroidered bed, carved dressing table and marble stool are placed on the upper floor as soon as the lady enters the building. The bed, table and stool are all mahogany furniture with hundreds of years of history. In the house, a beautiful pastel porcelain pier is placed in front of the mahogany dressing table.

Miss building is a closed cloister style wooden building. The patio in the middle of the building downstairs is connected with the skylight above and the earth below, catering to the geomantic omen of the harmony of yin and Yang. The first room in Dongshou upstairs is where Li Hongzhang's daughter Ju ou (grandmother of famous writer Zhang Ailing) lives, and the old lady lives in the middle. The old house has a back garden, which was built after the completion of the former residence. It is a back garden for family members' leisure and entertainment.

Major exhibitions

Important events

On September 27, 1999, the completion ceremony of Li Hongzhang's family house restoration project and the opening ceremony of "Li Hongzhang's life exhibition" and "Hefei unearthed cultural relics exhibition" were solemnly held. On December 4, Mrs. Liu Bocheng, former chairman of the Central Military Commission, and a group of five people visited Li Hongzhang's former residence.

In March 2000, the selection of "99 top ten national exhibitions" was held in Beijing, and the restoration of Li Hongzhang's former residence and the exhibition of "Li Hongzhang, a military and political official in the late Qing Dynasty" won the nomination award.

On January 3, 2008, Bi Shumin, vice chairman of Beijing Writers Association and national first-class writer, visited Li Hongzhang's former residence.

On January 1, 2009, famous diplomat Wu Jianmin visited Li Hongzhang's former residence. On April 25, Sun Jia, vice chairman of the CPPCC National Committee and chairman of the all China Federation of literary and art circles, was accompanied by sun Jinlong, Secretary of Hefei Municipal Party committee, and other leaders to visit Li Hongzhang's former residence.

On February 4, 2010, Chen Xianchun, director of Personnel Department of National Tourism Administration, visited Li Hongzhang's former residence. On April 3, Yan Chongnian, the keynote speaker of CCTV's "forum of 100 schools" and an expert in Qing Dynasty history, visited Li Hongzhang's former residence. On April 19, Wu Wenwen, director of planning and Finance Department of National Tourism Administration and vice president of China Tourism Association, visited Li Hongzhang's former residence. On May 3, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region president bater visited Li Hongzhang's former residence. On the afternoon of May 16, Liu Peng, director of the State General Administration of sports, visited Li Hongzhang's former residence. On May 23, Chen Jinhua, former vice chairman of the CPPCC National Committee, visited Li Hongzhang's former residence. On June 20, abreti abdurexiti, vice chairman of the CPPCC National Committee, visited Li Hongzhang's former residence.

Cultural relics protection

In 1985, Li Hongzhang's former residence was announced as a cultural relic protection unit in Hefei.

In April 1993, the former residence of Li Hongzhang family was also included in the old city reconstruction plan of the middle section of Huaihe Road. Focusing on "preservation" and "demolition", Hefei's cultural relics department and urban construction department have different voices, which have also aroused extensive attention and reports from the local media. Mr. Cheng Rufeng, a cultural relics worker, is running around to protect the former residence of Li Hongzhang's family. He wrote letters to several leaders and ambassador to the United States, Li Daoyu (the fourth generation grandson of Li Hezhang, Li Hongzhang's third brother), demanding the protection of "Li Hongzhang's house".

In 1994, Fu Xishou, then governor of Anhui Province, gave instructions to preserve the former residence of Li Hongzhang's family, ending a year long dispute.

In 1998, the former residence of Li Hongzhang's family was listed as a key cultural relic protection unit in the province.

In 2011, Li Hongzhang's former residence and Li Hongzhang Xiangtang were approved as national 4A tourist attractions.

In 2013, the former residence of Li family (Li Hongzhang's former residence) was listed as the seventh batch of national key cultural relics protection units.

In 2016, Li Hongzhang, an important Minister of the late Qing Dynasty, won the title of "Anhui Provincial Museum exhibition" for three times.

Cultural relic value

Lifu is the largest and best preserved former residence of celebrities in the late Qing Dynasty in Jianghuai area. Li Hongzhang's life exhibition is arranged in the front hall of his former residence. The exhibition shows Li Hongzhang's changeable life with a large number of precious pictures and objects, that is, "young imperial examination, army in the prime of life, frontier in the middle of life, westernization in the later years". The middle hall and the lady's building are displayed in the form of restoration, showing the daily life of the guests and their families, which fully shows the architectural style of Jianghuai area. The "exhibition of Huaixi group and China's modernization" in the East is open on the basis of enriching Li Hongzhang's life exhibition, which fully reveals the outstanding contributions of Huaixi group, the most influential and powerful group in the late Qing Dynasty, to modern military, economy, culture and national defense under the leadership of Li Hongzhang.

Tourism information

Li Hongzhang's former residence is located at 208, middle section of Huaihe Road Pedestrian Street, Luyang District, Hefei City, Anhui Province

admission ticket

Adult ticket: 20 yuan

Student ticket: 10 yuan

metro

Dadongmen station of Hefei Metro Line 1

Dadongmen station of Hefei Metro Line 2

transit

BRT line 1, BRT line 3, BRT line 4, BRT line 5, No. 4, No. 5, No. 14, No. 46, No. 109, No. 117, No. 121, No. 127, No. 129

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