When it comes to historical sites in Beijing, people usually think of the Forbidden City right away, but there is an equally grand location that costume drama fans must visit: Prince Kung's Mansion – called 恭王府 (Gōng Wángfǔ) in Chinese, and Prince Kung’s Mansion on Google Maps.
This place once belonged to Prince Gong, Yixin, but the first owner who built this super massive mansion was none other than the legendary corrupt official Heshen during the reign of Emperor Qianlong. His accumulated wealth back then was reportedly equal to a dozen years of the national treasury's income, truly filthy rich.
Inside, the mansion is vast, with a structure no different from a miniature version of the Forbidden City featuring hundreds of rooms, lakes, a theater, moon-gazing pavilions, and even artificial mountains.
Once you step in here, do not miss a few interesting experiences:
Crawl into the cave beneath the artificial mountain to admire the character "Fu" (福) written by the hand of Emperor Kangxi himself – people believe that touching it to absorb its auspicious energy will bring an extreme amount of good luck.
Visit the Dragon King Temple (龙王庙) located on the grounds, buy a peace plaque for 25 Yuan, write your wish with your own hands, and hang it up to pray for good fortune.
Stroll along the small alleys and the lush green back gardens to fully feel the absolute extravagance of the Qing Dynasty's royalty and nobility.
To get here, you just need to take the subway within downtown Beijing and you will arrive very easily. If you have the chance to visit the capital, remember to spare a whole leisurely afternoon exploring this super interesting historical corner!
