Beijing Geography Wang Xie Gate

Author: Beijing News Weekly
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-11-01
Features: In the vast flow of time, Beijing News Weekly is fortunate to be a representative of advanced culture. On one side, it is a noble and responsible journalistic flag with boundless passion; on the other, it is a refined and knowledgeable hero who governs the times; on yet another side, it is a cultural pioneer who lingers in history and dwells poetically. The Beijing News Weekly Series is a collection of the essence of Beijing News Weekly's humanistic spirit. Cultivating the present, harvesting the future. This city presents such a moving picture to you—its millennium-old history can still be felt, and its material remnants remain as useful as ever. Though some dust has settled, a light sweep is all it takes to clear it away. How grand a book this is! In my over ten years of exploration, I have only grasped a glimpse of it, yet each step has undeniably brought my soul a sense of liberation. My heart began to sing in this way, immersed in the long river of history. Wang Jun/Author of "City Chronicle," Scholar of Beijing History In our dreams, Beijing is not only the painted subject of this book but also its reader, judge, and collector—and most importantly, it is the great and mysterious author. Lü Yue/Executive Editor of Beijing Geography Series in Beijing News Weekly The (Prince Chun's Mansion), (Prince Gong's Mansion), (Regent's Mansion), (Prince Sengge Rinchen's Mansion), (Princess Hejing's Mansion)—each a majestic and mysterious mansion, steeped in legends, embodying the essence of Qing Dynasty history, culture, architecture, and the art of living. The former residences of powerful politicians and wealthy figures, such as Li Hongzhang's, Ronglu's, Duan Qirui's, Sheng Xuanhuai's, and Wan Yalian's, once grand and influential, now mostly lie in ruins, struggling to survive. This issue selects the most representative mansions and wealthy families in Beijing, uncovering their historical and cultural value through journalists' on-site investigations, expert interviews, and folk memories, while also focusing on their current preservation status and future fate. Unique photographic perspectives present both the splendor and the desolation of these grand estates.