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Travel | Meet You at Kang Baiwan's Manor in the Early Summer

With the coming of early summer,

it seems a good choice to visit Kang Baiwan's Manor in such lovely weather.

As summer is stepping close,

What could attract you more

than a trip to Kang Baiwan's Manor? 

Just appreciate the following beautiful pictures

to see whether you can resist the temptation to visit it.

Located in the north of Caishichang Street, Kangdian County, Gongyi City, Henan Province, Kang Baiwan's Manor, also known as Heluo Kang Family Manor, was built during the late Qing Dynasty and the early Ming Dynasty (1644-1911). It is a representative of the feudal fortress architecture in north China in the 17th and 18th centuries. The manor is backed by Mangshan Mountain and faces Luohe River, thus winning it a reputation of "Golden Turtles Searching for Water". It is one of the three largest manors in China (the other two are Liu's Manor, Mou's Manor), and also known as the "three official residences in central China" together with Qiao's Grand Courtyard in Shanxi Province and Ma’s Manor in Anyang County, Henan Province.

Kang Baiwan's Manor has a history of more than 400 years, and covers a building area of 64,300 square meters, including 33 courtyards, 53 buildings, 97 bungalows and 73 caves, with a total of 571 rooms. "Kang Baiwan" not only refers to a specific person, but the entire Kang family represented by Kang Yingkui since the Ming and Qing dynasties. The Kang family made its fortune through initial river transportation and amassed its wealth through land, and won official titles by paying tribute to the imperial court. The family was awarded several times by the imperial court, and the highest reward was the third-rank official title, and some of them were nominated as magistrate of a prefecture.

The architecture is influenced by Confucianism and Heluo Culture, and embodies the rich culture of Henan merchants. There are a large number of plaques, couplets, tablets and inscriptions, as well as exquisite tile, wood and stone carvings. Everything in the manor witnessed the prosperity of the history of the Kang family. Spirits of the Chinese nation such as loyalty, integrity, righteousness and courage, fearlessness of hardship, kindness to help those in distress, family harmony, sense of propriety, justice, honesty and honor and so on were embodied in the inscriptions. The ancestors of the Kang family concentrated these spirits in the incisive couplets, to show their own faiths, and urge them to practice these virtues, which is admirable.

The storehouses cover the largest area in the manor, with an area of about 3,600 square meters. Now there are three courtyards preserved facing south in the manor, namely Shunji Courtyard, Kuiji Courtyard and Chongyide Courtyard, most of which were built in the 11th-18th years during the reign of Emperor Guangxu in the Qing Dynasty (1871-1908). The glorious history of the Kang family is closely related to the business customs in central China. The traditional virtue of Henan merchants-- "doing business with propriety, seeking wealth with righteousness", was also followed by the Kang family from generation to generation.

Kang Baiwan's Manor,

backed by Mangshan Mountain and facing Luohe River,

boasts green grass, blooming flowers and fresh air,

as well as black bricks and tiles, and carved beams and painted rafters,

where nature and culture have blended into one harmonious whole.

The stone carvings, brick carvings and wood carvings in the manor have long been well-known, and the collection of various exquisite carvings attract a lot of designers, carving artists to learn something and draw inspiration.

From the admonition "Don't Go Too Far", to the family motto, and to the inscriptions of the family, all show the culture that has been passed down from generation to generation by this fabulously wealthy family for more than 400 years. And visitors can gain some insights from these.

The wealth of the Kang family can be seen from the title "Kang Baiwan (Kang the billionaire)" bestowed by Empress Dowager Cixi, the family's plaque engraved with "Having Thousands of Hectares of Fertile Land" and the popular saying that "even if traveling thousand miles, you are still in Kang's land". People must be very interested in the wealth story of the Kang family. Now let's have a look at the business philosophy of the Kang family they pursued when they were doing business.

Travel Tips

I. Opening hours

08:00 -- 17:30 (last admission is at 17:00).

II. Limit on number of visitors

According to the requirements of the government, the number of visitors must not exceed 30% of the maximum carrying capacity of the scenic spot. Ticket sales will be closed if the number of visitors exceeds the limitation.

III. Admission

1. Ticket office: 50 yuan/person. (At any time during appointed period)

2. Online: 48 yuan/person. (Reservations are required 2 hours in advance)

3. Half-price ticket: 25 yuan/person. (At any time during appointed period)

Since April 1, 2020, the scenic spot has extended preferential policies to the following visitors:

1. Free admission is granted to senior citizens aged 60 years old or above (ID card or senior citizen ID is required);

2. Free admission is granted to medical workers in 2020 (certificate for assistant practicing doctor/nurse certificate and ID card are required);

3. Free admission is granted to police (police badge and ID card are required);

4. Free admission is granted to firefighters in service (firefighter certification and ID card are required); 

5, Teachers can enjoy a 50% discount for admission tickets (teacher certification and ID card are required).

IV. Reservation

The scenic spot implements the online time interval-based ticket purchasing system. Tourists can book tickets through the WeChat Official Account of the scenic spot, Meituan, Ctrip, qunar.com and Ly.com according to their travel plans. Once sold out during the selling period, there will be no more tickets left to sell.

Tourists are advised to make travel plans in advance and book tickets online. Tourists should also arrive at the scenic spot within the time limit to avoid unnecessary trouble.

Copyright by Zhengzhou Municipal Tourism Administration