The best-preserved Qing princely residence, with 9,999 bats and a hidden opera stage
Prince Gong's Mansion is the most complete surviving residence of a Qing prince, tucked into the hutongs west of the Shichahai lakes. Its courtyards, rockery garden and private opera stage show how the aristocracy lived, far from the formal palaces. The highlight is the Pavilion of the Fu and its 9,999-bat motif around a single hidden character. This guide covers passport booking, the route through the grounds, and pairing it with the surrounding hutongs.
Prince Gong's Mansion sells timed tickets online against your passport number. There is no reliable walk-up window for foreign visitors, and the mansion closes every Monday, so book before you travel and pick a weekday.
Metro Line 6 or 8 to Nanluoguxiang (Exit B), then a 10-minute walk west through the hutongs, or Line 2 to Jishuitan and a short taxi.
恭王府 南门 (south gate, west of Shichahai Lake).
Enter at the South Gate on Liuyin Jie; the route is largely one-way through the front courts to the rear garden, exiting near the north side.
The mansion's signature feature is a rockery screen hiding a single giant 'Fu' (good fortune) character carved into the stone. Combined with 9,999 bat motifs across the roofs and beams, it was designed as a private luck machine for the prince.
A classical scholar's garden with a central lake, artificial hills, pavilions and a covered walkway. This is the most photogenic quarter and the clearest contrast to the formal palace compounds elsewhere in Beijing.
A restored indoor stage where the prince's household watched opera. The intimate wooden auditorium and painted ceiling show the private entertainment of the Qing elite far better than any museum display.
A sequence of solemn courtyard halls where the prince received guests and conducted business. The layout follows strict Qing rank, and the carved doorways are among the finest surviving in a private residence.
The site began in the late 18th century as the town residence of Heshen, a favourite of the Qianlong emperor notorious for his wealth and corruption. After Heshen's fall, the compound passed through several imperial hands before becoming the home of Prince Gong, Yixin, a powerful statesman of the late Qing, around 1851.
The prince's family occupied it through the turbulent final decades of the dynasty, and after 1911 the mansion slipped into decline, subdivided and partly demolished. It served variously as a school, a bank and cramped housing before systematic restoration began in the late 20th century to recover its original plan.
Today the restored mansion is a national heritage site and one of the few Qing aristocratic homes open to the public. Its 9,999-bat motif and the hidden Fu character have made it a popular symbol of fortune, and the garden is considered among the best-preserved private gardens of its era in Beijing.
Yes. Tickets are sold online against your passport number with timed entry, and there is no reliable walk-up window for foreign visitors. Book a few days ahead, especially for weekends, and never on a Monday when it is closed.
Around CNY 40, though confirm the current figure on the official WeChat account before you go, as municipal pricing shifts. The ticket covers the courts, garden and opera theatre; there is no separate charge inside.
Plan two to three hours to see the reception courts, the Fu pavilion, the opera theatre and the rear garden without rushing. Add another hour if you linger in the garden or pair it with Shichahai.
Weekday mornings at opening are calmest; spring and autumn offer the best light in the garden. Avoid national holidays and Mondays (closed). Late April's blossoms and October's clear skies are ideal.
Yes, for contrast. Where the palace shows imperial power at scale, this mansion shows how the elite actually lived — intimate courts, a private opera stage and a scholar's garden. It pairs naturally with the Shichahai hutongs.
