The First Mansion in the South of the Capital
by Charlotte Parker
Mar 25, 2024
The Hejian Prefecture Office is located at No. 97 Hongpailou Street in the city center, covering an area of 83.7 mu (approximately 13.8 acres) with a building area of 6,923 square meters. Originally built in the second year of Daguan during the Northern Song Dynasty (1108), it is the only local government office building outside the Forbidden City in Beijing that features a "chuantang" (a covered passageway connecting buildings). Notable figures such as Bao Zheng, Li Suzhi, and Wang Sicheng once held positions here. After the Republic of China, the prefecture system was abolished, and the office fell into disrepair, eventually becoming ruins.
It was rebuilt on its original site and opened to the public in August 2013. The reconstructed office consists of over 60 buildings with more than 300 rooms, divided into east, central, and west routes. It includes structures such as the main hall, chuantang, second hall, third hall, inner residence, judicial office, prison god temple, vice-prefect's office, land god shrine, Shouzhen Shrine, Qing army office, Qing army hall, criminal court, horse administration office, Hejian post station, criminal justice office, and patrol office.
Post by _Lucy_34 | Mar 21, 2025
















