Huangcheng Xiangfu 皇城相府Huángchéng Xiàngfǔ

Why go to Huangcheng Xiangfu

In Yangcheng County, about 25 km west of Jincheng, Huangcheng Xiangfu ('the chancellor's residence at Huangcheng') is the walled estate of the Chen family, a maze of courtyard houses, towers and gardens built mostly in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. Enter through the outer town built for Chen Tingjing, then climb into the older hillside inner town and its tall defensive Hanshan Tower; the estate also houses a dictionary museum.

The story

The Chens fortified their home in the 1630s against rebel raids, building the Heshan Tower with its only door on an upper floor, reached by a bridge, and a well and food stores inside for sieges. Their most famous son, Chen Tingjing, rose to Grand Secretary under the Kangxi Emperor and in 1710 was named, with Zhang Yushu, to lead work on the Kangxi Dictionary, but both died before it appeared in 1716.

What to see at Huangcheng Xiangfu

• Tower of Imperial Handwriting 御书楼: Built in 1714 to keep the plaques and writings given to the family by the Kangxi Emperor. It stands in the outer town near the entrance and is often the first sight.
• Stone Memorial Archway 石牌坊: Raised in 1699, while Chen Tingjing was Minister of Personnel, it carries panels recording the family's examination successes across five generations.
• Grand Secretary's Residence 大学士第: A complete household of halls, a study, bedrooms, gardens and servants' quarters, which the Kangxi Emperor visited twice and honoured with a plaque.
• Tower of Rivers and Mountains 河山楼: The seven-storey defensive tower of 1632 rises over the inner town, with its entrance on the second floor and a well and food stores inside. Look up at it from the courtyards below.
• Chinese Dictionary Museum 中华字典博物馆: Opened in 2016, it traces the history of Chinese dictionaries and holds 128 editions of the Kangxi Dictionary, compiled under Chen Tingjing.

How to visit Huangcheng Xiangfu

Enter the outer town first, where the Tower of Imperial Handwriting and the stone archway stand, then climb through the older inner town up the hillside. Allow half a day, longer if you add the dictionary museum and the walk to nearby Guoyu. The inner town is steep with uneven paving, so wear good shoes.

How to get to Huangcheng Xiangfu

Take high-speed rail to Jincheng East (about 1.5–2 hours from Taiyuan South), then a taxi for the 45–60 minute drive to Huangcheng village in Beiliu town; Jincheng's Tourism Line 1 bus also serves the site.

Where to stay

Jincheng is the practical base, with the trains and the wider choice of hotels, and Huangcheng is a taxi or Tourism Line 1 bus ride away. Staying nearer the estate is possible but options are limited.

What to eat

• Yangcheng braised liver 阳城烧肝: Spiced, braised pork liver sliced thin, a Yangcheng snack sold on the village's food street.
• Jincheng stir-fried jelly noodles 炒凉粉: Cubes of jelly fried with chilli and vinegar until sour, spicy and soft, a well-known Jincheng street food.
• Clear-broth hele noodles 清汤饸饹: Pressed noodles in a clear, light broth, a local comfort dish.

Tips for visiting Huangcheng Xiangfu

• Walk on to Guoyu, a walled village about 300 metres to the south, whose seven-storey Yu Tower is another late-Ming defensive refuge.
• The Chinese Dictionary Museum inside the estate holds more than a hundred editions of the Kangxi Dictionary.
• The inner town climbs a hillside, so expect steep steps and uneven paving.

Nearby

• White Horse Temple 白马寺 90 km
  China's first Buddhist temple, with Thai, Indian and Burmese halls beside it
• Wanxian Mountain (Guoliang) 万仙山 100 km
  A village that hand-cut a road through the cliff face
• Taihang Grand Canyon 太行山大峡谷 100 km
  Sheer gorges in the Taihang Mountains, explored by boat, cliff path and cable car
• Longmen Grottoes 龙门石窟 110 km
  Some 100,000 Buddhas carved into riverside cliffs, watched over by a serene giant
• Guangsheng Temple 广胜寺 110 km
  A 13-storey glazed-tile pagoda above Yuan halls and murals, among them a theatre scene
• Shaolin Temple 少林寺 120 km
  The cradle of Chan Buddhism and kung fu, at the foot of Mount Song

Also within 30 km: Guoyu Walled Town 郭峪古城 (under 10 km), Haihui Temple and Academy 海会寺 (under 10 km), Tianguan Wang Mansion 天官王府 (under 10 km), Runcheng Dongyue Temple 润城东岳庙 (under 10 km), Diji Fortress 砥洎城 (under 10 km), Zhoucun Dongyue Temple 周村东岳庙 (under 10 km).

On the map

Open Huangcheng Xiangfu 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
• Wikipedia (Chinese)