Jingjiang Princes City
Encyclopedia
Jingjiang Princes'City is a famous historical site in Guilin
, Guangxi
Zhuang
Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China
.It now functions as both Guangxi Normal University
and as a tourist attraction.
, close to the Solitary Beauty Peak (Duxiu Feng). It was originally the official residence of Zhu Shouqian - the great-nephew of Zhu Yuanzhang (the first emperor of the Ming Dynasty). After Zhu Shouqian was announced the Prince of Jingjiang by Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang, this place was set as the Jingjiang. It had taken more than 20 years to build the capital. Now it has a history of over 630 years, which is older than the Forbidden City
in Beijing
.
During the 257 years from the building of the mansion to the end of Ming Dynasty, 14 kings from 12 generations lived here.
Sun Yat-sen
stayed there while on the Northward Expedition in 1921. In the winter of 1925, it was established as Yat-sen Park and now is one of the schoolyards of Guangxi Normal University. The carved balustrades and marble steps of the mansion still remain to today.
Over its history of more than 600 years the city was burned down several times, however it remains as the best preserved Princes' City in China. Notably, the carved balustrades and marble steps still remain. The Chinese Government gave the site national protection status in 1993.
Today the site is occupied by Guangxi Normal University
, but remains open to the public as popular tourist attraction combining aspects of Guilin
's natural beauty, history, traditional architecture and local culture
.
.
There is a 1500-meter long city wall which is built with square bluestones. It is 557.5 meters long from south to north and 336 meters long from east to west. The city wall is 7.92 meters high and has a thickness of 5.5 meters. There are four gates in four directions, which are called “Tiren” (Donghua Gate), “Duanli” (Zhengyang Gate), “Zunyi” (Xihua Gate) and “Guangzhi” (Hougong Gate).
The layout of the city strictly conforms to the rules of the Ming Dynasty. All buildings are arranged on the axis anchored by the Solitary Beauty Peak in the order of, from the south, Duanli Gate (Entrance Gate), Chengyun Gate (Palace Gate), Chengyun Palace (Administration Building), Royal Quarters, Imperial Garden and Guangzhi Gate (Rear Gate). The subsidiary buildings on both sides of the axis are symmetrical.
The local government has done a great job to combine aspects of Guilin's natural beauty, history, traditional architecture and local culture. Now it is a popular tourist destination.
Jingjiang Princes' City is located beside the Li River
. It is a tourist attraction highlighted by the gorgeous Solitary Beauty Peak and covers the whole JingJang Prince City. Perfectly combing the natural landscape and historical sites, it is praised as a “city in a city ” since the ancient time.
The Jingjiang Princes'City Scenic Area is a highest grade tourist resource in the Guilin.It is mainly composed of Chengyun (Be Ordained by Heaven) Gate, Chengyun Hall, Bedchamber, Ancestral Temple, The Altar of the Earth and Harvests, pavilions, terraces and towers. The whole city is a huge building complexes decorated with red walls and yellow tiles, splendid and glorious. Around the Prince City, there is a city wall piled up by strong square green stones. Four city gates are opened in the eastern, western, northern and southern sides, named Tiren (Donghua Gate), Duanli (Zhengyang Gate), Zunyi (Xihua Gate) and Guangzhi (Hougong Gate) respectively. The straight Solitary Beauty Peak stands erect in the city. Yueya (Crescent) Pool is lying at the top of the peak. Move up, visitors can find Xuanwu Pavilion, Kwanyin Hall, Sanke Temple and Sanshen (Three Deities) Ancestral Temple elegantly dotted on the peak.
The Solitary Beauty Peak is often compared to be a king as it erects from the ground like a unique column propping up the blue sky. Its summit offers the best panoramic view of Guilin City. The well-known description that characterizes Guilin landscape “the scenery in guilin excels all under the heaven” is among the numerous stone inscription on the cliffs of the Peak. Inside the Peace Cave at the foot of the Peak, there are 60 Chinses zodiacal signs carved on the wall that are considered to be one of the world culture wonder. In the Qing Dynasty
, JingJiang Princes' City was converted to be the Examination House.JingJiang Princes' City is listed as “the key cultural relics of national level” in 1996. In Guilin
, Jingjiang Princes' City is something irreplaceable. In touring the mountains and waters you can’t miss this royal treasure hill
：Solitary Beauty Peak. To read the history
of Guilin, you can’t miss the Princes' City. It is all contained in one phrase “Guilin’s scenery is the best under heaven, touring the Princes' City you’ll know all about Guilin”.
There had been 14 Jingjiang Princes of 12 generations who had lived in the city during the 257 years before it was ruined in Qing Dynasty
(1636–1911). The last owner Li Youde buried himself to death in the Qing Dynasty. At present, the main buildings of the city are well preserved. The left Chengyun Gate, the platform of Chengyun Palace and other buildings are open for visitors.
(in chinese astronology means good location,good fortune) and numerous top scholars made its fame beat all in the Qing Dynasty
. The site has been restored as a simulating imperial testing house where tourists can take part in the exam and have great fun.
In the scenic area, the manmade sights embrace the natural beauty. The authentic work of the inscription “Guilin’s Scenery Ranks First in the World” is found there. It is a typical representation of the culture and history of Guilin.
Guilin
Guilin is a prefecture-level city in the northeast of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of far southern China, sitting on the west bank of the Li River. Its name means "forest of Sweet Osmanthus", owing to the large number of fragrant Sweet Osmanthus trees located in the city...
, Guangxi
Guangxi
Guangxi, formerly romanized Kwangsi, is a province of southern China along its border with Vietnam. In 1958, it became the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China, a region with special privileges created specifically for the Zhuang people.Guangxi's location, in...
Zhuang
Zhuang
The Zhuang are an ethnic group of people who mostly live in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in southern China. Some also live in the Yunnan, Guangdong, Guizhou and Hunan provinces...
Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
.It now functions as both Guangxi Normal University
Guangxi Normal University
-External links:* * *...
and as a tourist attraction.
History
The Jingjiang Princes'City (aka Jingjiang Princes'Palace) is commonly known as Wang Cheng (Princes' City), located in the inner city of Guilin,built from 1372 to 1392AD in the Ming DynastyMing Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
, close to the Solitary Beauty Peak (Duxiu Feng). It was originally the official residence of Zhu Shouqian - the great-nephew of Zhu Yuanzhang (the first emperor of the Ming Dynasty). After Zhu Shouqian was announced the Prince of Jingjiang by Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang, this place was set as the Jingjiang. It had taken more than 20 years to build the capital. Now it has a history of over 630 years, which is older than the Forbidden City
Forbidden City
The Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial palace from the Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty. It is located in the middle of Beijing, China, and now houses the Palace Museum...
in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
.
During the 257 years from the building of the mansion to the end of Ming Dynasty, 14 kings from 12 generations lived here.
Sun Yat-sen
Sun Yat-sen
Sun Yat-sen was a Chinese doctor, revolutionary and political leader. As the foremost pioneer of Nationalist China, Sun is frequently referred to as the "Father of the Nation" , a view agreed upon by both the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China...
stayed there while on the Northward Expedition in 1921. In the winter of 1925, it was established as Yat-sen Park and now is one of the schoolyards of Guangxi Normal University. The carved balustrades and marble steps of the mansion still remain to today.
Over its history of more than 600 years the city was burned down several times, however it remains as the best preserved Princes' City in China. Notably, the carved balustrades and marble steps still remain. The Chinese Government gave the site national protection status in 1993.
Today the site is occupied by Guangxi Normal University
Guangxi Normal University
-External links:* * *...
, but remains open to the public as popular tourist attraction combining aspects of Guilin
Guilin
Guilin is a prefecture-level city in the northeast of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of far southern China, sitting on the west bank of the Li River. Its name means "forest of Sweet Osmanthus", owing to the large number of fragrant Sweet Osmanthus trees located in the city...
's natural beauty, history, traditional architecture and local culture
Culture
Culture is a term that has many different inter-related meanings. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions...
.
Size and layout
The Jingjiang Princes'City is magnificent and grandly walled, and once functioned as an 'inner city' occupied by the princes and their families. There are 4 halls, 4 pavilions and 40 other buildings surrounding the main buildings. It occupies a total area of 19.78 hectares (0.08 square miles). The layout of the mansion is, from the south to the north, Imperial Burial Place, Chengyun Palace and Chengyun Gate; from east to west, Imperial Divine Temple and Ancestral Temple. Other buildings are built around the main buildings. All the buildings in Jingjiang Princes'City are decorated with red walls and yellow tiles, which a typical Palace building in ChinaChina
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
.
There is a 1500-meter long city wall which is built with square bluestones. It is 557.5 meters long from south to north and 336 meters long from east to west. The city wall is 7.92 meters high and has a thickness of 5.5 meters. There are four gates in four directions, which are called “Tiren” (Donghua Gate), “Duanli” (Zhengyang Gate), “Zunyi” (Xihua Gate) and “Guangzhi” (Hougong Gate).
The layout of the city strictly conforms to the rules of the Ming Dynasty. All buildings are arranged on the axis anchored by the Solitary Beauty Peak in the order of, from the south, Duanli Gate (Entrance Gate), Chengyun Gate (Palace Gate), Chengyun Palace (Administration Building), Royal Quarters, Imperial Garden and Guangzhi Gate (Rear Gate). The subsidiary buildings on both sides of the axis are symmetrical.
The local government has done a great job to combine aspects of Guilin's natural beauty, history, traditional architecture and local culture. Now it is a popular tourist destination.
Solitary Beauty Peak
Li River
Li River can refer to:*Lishui River , a river in Hunan province of China, one of the Yangtze River's four largest tributaries in the province....
. It is a tourist attraction highlighted by the gorgeous Solitary Beauty Peak and covers the whole JingJang Prince City. Perfectly combing the natural landscape and historical sites, it is praised as a “city in a city ” since the ancient time.
The Jingjiang Princes'City Scenic Area is a highest grade tourist resource in the Guilin.It is mainly composed of Chengyun (Be Ordained by Heaven) Gate, Chengyun Hall, Bedchamber, Ancestral Temple, The Altar of the Earth and Harvests, pavilions, terraces and towers. The whole city is a huge building complexes decorated with red walls and yellow tiles, splendid and glorious. Around the Prince City, there is a city wall piled up by strong square green stones. Four city gates are opened in the eastern, western, northern and southern sides, named Tiren (Donghua Gate), Duanli (Zhengyang Gate), Zunyi (Xihua Gate) and Guangzhi (Hougong Gate) respectively. The straight Solitary Beauty Peak stands erect in the city. Yueya (Crescent) Pool is lying at the top of the peak. Move up, visitors can find Xuanwu Pavilion, Kwanyin Hall, Sanke Temple and Sanshen (Three Deities) Ancestral Temple elegantly dotted on the peak.
The Solitary Beauty Peak is often compared to be a king as it erects from the ground like a unique column propping up the blue sky. Its summit offers the best panoramic view of Guilin City. The well-known description that characterizes Guilin landscape “the scenery in guilin excels all under the heaven” is among the numerous stone inscription on the cliffs of the Peak. Inside the Peace Cave at the foot of the Peak, there are 60 Chinses zodiacal signs carved on the wall that are considered to be one of the world culture wonder. In the Qing Dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
, JingJiang Princes' City was converted to be the Examination House.JingJiang Princes' City is listed as “the key cultural relics of national level” in 1996. In Guilin
Guilin
Guilin is a prefecture-level city in the northeast of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of far southern China, sitting on the west bank of the Li River. Its name means "forest of Sweet Osmanthus", owing to the large number of fragrant Sweet Osmanthus trees located in the city...
, Jingjiang Princes' City is something irreplaceable. In touring the mountains and waters you can’t miss this royal treasure hill
Hill
A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. Hills often have a distinct summit, although in areas with scarp/dip topography a hill may refer to a particular section of flat terrain without a massive summit A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. Hills...
：Solitary Beauty Peak. To read the history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
of Guilin, you can’t miss the Princes' City. It is all contained in one phrase “Guilin’s scenery is the best under heaven, touring the Princes' City you’ll know all about Guilin”.
“Zhuangyuan Jidi” Arch
The “Zhuangyuan Jidi” Arch(Zhuangyuan means title conferred on the one who came first in the highest imperial examination) is located on the Donghua Gate. The arch was built during the reign of Dao Guang in Qing Dynasty (1636–1911) and ruined during the reign of Guangxu in Qing Dynasty. It was built for the Long Qirui (龙启瑞). Before Long Qirui was entitled the Zhuangyuan, there was someone who also enjoyed the title. In the next four years, there were two Zhuangyuans came from Guilin which shocked everyone in China. Since then, there was a popular saying that “eight Jinshi (An advanced scholar) from one county and two Zhuangyuan from one city”. In order to memorize this legend, local authorities rebuilt the “Zhuangyuan Jidi” Arch and carved all the four peoples’ names on the arch. The “Bangyan Jidi” Arch (Bangyan means the second place at palace examinations) is on the Xihua Gate. It was built for memorize Yu Jianzhang(于建章) in the fourth year of the Region of Tongzhi in Qing Dynasty.There had been 14 Jingjiang Princes of 12 generations who had lived in the city during the 257 years before it was ruined in Qing Dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
(1636–1911). The last owner Li Youde buried himself to death in the Qing Dynasty. At present, the main buildings of the city are well preserved. The left Chengyun Gate, the platform of Chengyun Palace and other buildings are open for visitors.
Study Cave
The 1(st) poem in praise of Guilin scenery by a great writer Yan Yanzhi in the southern Song Dynasty (420-479) was engraved here and from where the Peak obtained its name. The most famous line“Guilin scenery excels all”was cliff-engraved here more than 800 years ago.stone inscription
The stone inscriptions on the Solitary Beauty Peak add up to 136 pieces,which were attributed to the VIPs at that time.These inscriptions include calligraphy,painting and documentary records,etc.These works reflect the history of Guilin and represent the essence of culture.Peace Grotto
It is a natural grotto at the west foot of the Duxiu Peak and a place for the Jingjiang Princes to worship. The statue of emperor Xuan Wu and 60 God Jiazhi statues are enshrined and worshiped inside the grotto. Among them the carved reproduction of the 60 God Jiazhi statues in the grotto are probably the only ones within the country.Examination House
A place blessed with good Feng shuiFeng shui
Feng shui ' is a Chinese system of geomancy believed to use the laws of both Heaven and Earth to help one improve life by receiving positive qi. The original designation for the discipline is Kan Yu ....
(in chinese astronology means good location,good fortune) and numerous top scholars made its fame beat all in the Qing Dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
. The site has been restored as a simulating imperial testing house where tourists can take part in the exam and have great fun.
Confucius Temple
The ancient scholars must offer their sacrifices to Confucius before taking the provincial test in the examination house.They pray for the win the test. It is said that the Confucian Temple next to the Examination House highly efficacious.Couple Tree
With branches in the shape of a dragon and a horse,a locust tree and a banyan tree grow tightly together like one sweet couple.Chengyun Palace
Originally built in 1372 in the Ming Dynasty as the administration office of the city.The palace was burned down twice in the Qing Dy nasty and during the Japanese invasion. The only originals are the stairs and railings since the carrent structure was rebuilt in 1947.Fortune Well
A well that the examinees in the Examination House in the Qing Dynasty regarded as the source of fortune, and from which they would definitely drank the blessed water before they took the exam.In the scenic area, the manmade sights embrace the natural beauty. The authentic work of the inscription “Guilin’s Scenery Ranks First in the World” is found there. It is a typical representation of the culture and history of Guilin.