A Glory Restored at the Mandarin’s House in Macau

Of the Zheng’s, the Mandarin’s House was built in 1869. Zheng Guanying (1842-1921) was a well-known literati of China, and this aspect of his life is amply shown in the classic setup of the Mandarin’s House. It is said that his book Words of Warning in Times of Prosperity had far reaching impact on the Qing imperial court, Dr Sun Yatsen and even Mao Zedong. In fact, he wrote this book in this very home in Macau. In his illustrious life, he was known also for being a businessman, educator, philanthropist and a patriot.

The Mandarin’s House is the only Tai Fu Tai in all of Macau that celebrates the Qing official title of Ronglu. Tai Fu Tai was the traditional mansion type of residency for a civilian government official, in Qing dynasty times known as Tai Fu. Zheng Guanying’s father, Zheng Wenrui, built this house.

Standing as it is now, the Mandarin House spans a floorspace of 4,000 square meters. From the main entrance, one goes past the subsidiary rooms, the gate tower and then the two main buildings in Lingnan architectural style.

#macauheritage #mandarinshouse #china #qingdynasty #china #macau

Post by Helen Yu (Chestnut Journal) | Oct 5, 2025