East mansion

East mansion

Donggongguan was completed in 1945 in Linxia, Gansu Province. This mansion, built by the Qingma family, is extremely luxurious. It was originally intended to be built for their families. It inadvertently left an extremely valuable Grand View Garden for Chinese brick carving art.

Donggongguan is the residence of Ma Buqing, former deputy commander of the 40th group army of the Kuomintang. It started construction in 1938 and was completed in 1945. It took eight years. On August 22, 1949, Linxia was liberated. Donggongguan was under the control of a certain department of the first field army of the people's Liberation Army. Before Wang Zhen's army entered Qinghai, its headquarters was stationed here.

essential information

Donggongguan is located at 35 Huancheng East Road in the southeast corner of Linxia city, more than 60 meters east of sandaoqiao square, covering an area of more than 200 mu, including Suqin girls' school, orchard, vegetable garden, Shuimo, summer resort (huangjiazha), etc. Now it is a provincial cultural relic protection unit in Gansu Province.

Architectural features

Donggongguan is a "field" shaped courtyard with unique layout: the main entrance is a western style building, with different styles and functions. The main house of the courtyard is a three story five room building, with 28 pillars to the sky; two corner buildings at both ends; five old halls in the East, West and South; quadrangles in the northwest and southwest, with five rooms in the East, West, North and South; kitchen courtyard in the Southwest; flower viewing building, guard courtyard and chariot courtyard in the outer courtyard, and evergreen pines and cypresses planted on both sides of the passageway in the courtyard.

More than 600000 bricks, more than 1 million tiles, more than 1000 Jin of pigments and more than 10 liang of gold were used for decorative bricks, wood carvings and flower patterns. In the courtyard of donggongguan, the pavilions and pavilions are connected with each other. The 189 brick carvings are made by the famous artist Zhan Chengyuan and his disciples. The patterns are unique. On the screen wall of Guoting, there is a large-scale "picture of rivers and mountains" with beautiful calligraphy couplets on both sides. The contents are as follows: "bearing grace, opening the worship industry, grand foundation, holding the Ying family, holding the banner of kunyao, preparing for the severe Xinjiang to send again Let's be honest and upright. Under this "landscape painting" is engraved "banana fan, gourd, Cailan and Flute", which is a metaphor for Ma Buqing's official frustration at that time. The East and West doors are symmetrical with peony vases, imitating the characteristics of cloisonne, and adopting the combination of carving and hollowing out techniques. They are exquisitely carved and very realistic. They are called "Shuangpin Fugui gate" and "Shuangpin peony gate", implying that Ma Buqing was a second-class official at that time. It also implies that entering this gate is stepping into the official residence of the second-class official. Entering the main entrance of western architectural features, a "hundred pictures" full of grapes makes people salivate. The carving is exquisite and exquisite. On the southeast wall of the three-story courtyard, the moon is shining brightly, the ancient pines are verdant, the springs are rushing down and the mountain flowers are blooming. On the wall of the East and West Bank of the south room of the main courtyard is a picture of peony budding and lotus blossoming. On both sides of the three-story building, the design on the right side is lush in the mid autumn moon, with beautiful woods and bamboos flying up, opposite each other, quiet and quiet; the design on the left side is Turquoise and luxuriant with small grass and tall banana. Brick carvings from a wide range of materials can be seen everywhere in donggongguan. Each of them is famous for its novel conception, vivid shape, exquisite craftsmanship and exquisite craftsmanship. It can be called the Grand View Garden of brick carvings and is a must see for tourists in Linxia.

The wood carvings in donggongguan courtyard can also be regarded as fine art. The houses, doors, windows, clapboards and handrails in the main courtyard are exquisitely carved with gold flowers. Peony, pomegranate and various flowers and plants are engraved in the main house of the three storey building and the wing rooms of the East and the West. In particular, a pair of Unicorns on the eaves of the courtyard are lifelike and moving. The wood carved dragons and phoenixes on the flower viewing floor dance with different expressions. The magnificent classical architecture is decorated with exquisite woodcut patterns, which makes the whole building more beautiful and resplendent.

Donggongguan, the palace of classical architectural art, is the crystallization of the wisdom and hard work of all nationalities in Linxia, with rare ornamental and research value.

tourist guide

Donggongguan is now open to tourists. The original house has become a museum, displaying Linxia culture, architecture, art, especially brick carving.

Address: No.35, qianheyan East Road, Linxia city, Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture

Longitude: 103.21499633789

Latitude: 35.591800689697

Chinese PinYin : Dong Gong Guan