Prince Gong's Mansion is the largest palace in the Qing Dynasty, and it is also the only Qing Dynasty palace open to the outside world, and it is a national 5A-level scenic spot. The name of Prince Gong's Mansion comes from its third owner, the sixth prince of Emperor Daoguang, the famous Qing Dynasty politician Prince Gong Yixin. But it is more well-known as its first owner, He Shen, known as the "first corrupt official of the Manchu Qing Dynasty". From the prosperous Qianlong era in 1776 to the sale to the church by Prince Gong's grandson in the early years of the Republic of China, Prince Gong's Mansion is a witness to the decline of the Qing Dynasty. Prince Gong's Mansion is located in Liuyin Street on the west side of Qianhai, is based on the establishment of Heshen Mansion, with the highest specifications second only to the emperor to renovate, the palace is composed of two parts, the palace and the back garden, with an area of more than 60,000 square meters, more than 30 large and small buildings, in addition to the Forbidden City, Beijing can feel the most ancient dignitaries and nobles in the life of the scenic spots. The mansion in the first half of Prince Gong's Mansion can be divided into three routes: middle, east and west, and the main body of each building is a neat multi-entry courtyard. The main buildings on East Road include Le Dao Hall and Duo Fu Xuan, of which Le Dao Hall is the place where Prince Gong lives. The Yin'an Hall and Jiale Hall in the middle road are the most majestic buildings in the province, mainly used as a place for important events such as sacrifices and festivals, so the buildings in the middle road are tall and solemn, and the gray walls hold up green glazed tiles, which is a symbol of the prince's status. The main buildings on the West Road are the Xi Jin Zhai and Bao Guang Room, which are known for their small and sophisticated size. It is worth mentioning that Xijinzhai was built by He Shen after the Ningshou Palace in the Forbidden City, so it became one of the twenty crimes for which he was given death. This also reflects the high standard of Xi Jinjae, which is one of the architectural masterpieces in the mansion. The buildings in Prince Gong's Mansion are rich in functions, Duobao Pavilion, Nanmu partition, fairy tower, shrine, indoor garden, true and false door, book pavilion, Taishi wall, Wanzi Kang, etc., the indoor space division of each hall is flexible and diverse, and can give visitors some unexpected joy from time to time. The interior eaves decoration and carving patterns in the building of Prince Gong's Mansion are also very fine, but unfortunately most of them have not been well preserved. The back cover building is the boundary between the mansion and the back garden, the building that covers the whole mansion is more than 160 meters long, with a total of 108 rooms on two floors, commonly known as "99 and a half rooms", the scale is only visible in the Qing Dynasty palace. What's more, the 44 windows on the upper floor of the back wall are designed with assorted carvings, and the shape is generally symmetrical on the left and right, with more than 20 shapes such as bat-shaped, scroll-shaped, coin-shaped, gourd-shaped, petal-shaped, butterfly-shaped, etc., and the carvings of each window are very fine, which is worth a good look at by tourists. It is also an important place for corrupt officials and Shen to hide treasures, and it is said that when Emperor Jiaqing raided Heshen's mansion, he found tens of thousands of taels of gold in the cracked wall alone. The back garden of Prince Gong's Mansion is also known as Jincui Garden, which corresponds to the mansion in terms of layout, and can probably be divided into three roads: middle, east and west. But the back garden puts aside the majesty of the mansion, the garden is surrounded by mountains and stones, the ancient trees are towering to the sky, the pavilions and pavilions are readily available, and the clear water is dotted in the meantime, and the ornamental and the emperor's imperial garden are not much better. The main scenic spots in the park are Xiyang Gate, Dule Peak, Bat Pond, Huxin Pavilion, Dicui Rock, Anshan Hall, Peony Garden, Step Back Zhai, Wutong Courtyard, Bat Hall and so on. Among them, the Western Gate, as the name suggests, is a Western-style white marble arch, and it is also the main entrance to the back garden. In the secret cloud cave under the Dicui Rock, there is the Kangxi imperial pen "Fu" word tablet, there is "the first blessing in the world" said, it is the unmissable scenic spot of Prince Gong's mansion. Since Prince Gong's Mansion is located on the west bank of Houhai, there are many traditional buildings and scenic spots in Beijing around the scenic spot, and there are many authentic snacks in Beijing near Houhai. Opening Hours: Closed on Mondays Peak season (April to October): 8:00-18:30 (Last admission: 17:00) Low season (November to March): 9:00-18:30 (Last admission: 17:00)