Prince Gong's Mansion's Fortune Celebration has a window to explain
The "Blessing Surplus" window of Prince Gong's Mansion was a special window in the back of Prince Gong's Mansion. Bats were carved on the top of this window, and Pisces were carved on the bottom, implying that there would be more than enough blessings every year. The design of this window was unique. There was even a bat pattern on the window lattice, expressing a beautiful wish. It was said that there was a mezzanide in the back wall of Prince Gong's residence, known as the 'Land of Hidden Treasure'. When He Shen was confiscated, 26000 taels of gold were found in this mezzanide. The windows in the back of Prince Gong's Mansion were of different shapes, and each window represented the treasures hidden in different rooms.
Where is the window of Prince Gong's Mansion?
The window of the Prince Gong's Mansion was located on the second floor of the back building. This window was one of the most iconic windows in the back building. The windows were in different shapes, including round, square, pomegranate, scroll, chime, fish, bat, and so on. Among them, the " Fu Qing Yu Yu " window used the pattern of " bat, chime, and fish ". It was carved with a bat that was hanging upside down. There was a window in the shape of an ancient musical instrument chime in its mouth, and two catfish hung in the middle of the window. This window symbolized " happiness and prosperity ".
Decryption of the window of the Treasure House of Prince Gong's Mansion
There were 88 windows on the back wall of the Treasure House of Prince Gong's Mansion, and each window had a different shape. It was said that these windows were designed by He Shen to classify the vast amount of treasures. Only He Shen could interpret the meaning of the windows. One of the windows was particularly unique. There were bats carved on it and Pisces carved on it, implying that there was more than enough happiness. These windows were not only designed for aesthetics, but also for practical functions. The thickness of the back wall was more than one meter, and the bottom of the windows was hollow, used to hide treasures. It was said that a large amount of gold had been found in the crack wall behind these windows. Therefore, these windows were not only decorations of the building, but also carried the wealth and secrets of the Heshen family.
The meaning of every window in the back of Prince Gong's mansion
The meaning of each window in the backyard of Prince Gong's Mansion was different. The meaning of the window included having more than enough happiness, having more than enough every year, good things in pairs, and double blessings. Among them, the bats on the window symbolized good fortune, while the catfish was homonym for "Nian Yu", which represented more than a year. The two bats inside the window grilles stood opposite each other, implying that good things came in pairs and that good fortune came in pairs. In addition, the chime shape and catfish on the window also had a special meaning. However, the specific meaning of each window was not mentioned, so he could not give a detailed answer.
Prince Gong's Mansion window, stone wall, bat, two fish
The windows and stone walls of Prince Gong's Mansion were carved with bats and two fish. This was because the bat and the fish were homophonic with the phrase "Blessing and Blessing", so it was designed to have such a meaning. This design reflected the reputation of Prince Gong's Mansion as the "Garden of Ten Thousand Blessings" and displayed the unique craftsmanship and culture of the Qing Dynasty.
Blessing of Prince Gong's Mansion
Prince Gong's Mansion was located in the Xicheng District Beijing City. It was known as the " Wanfu Garden." There were many decorations in Prince Gong's Mansion, the most famous of which was the Fu stele written by Emperor Kangxi, known as the "First Blessing in the World." This Fu stele was found in the Secret Cloud Cave in the garden of Prince Gong's Mansion. It was personally inscribed by Emperor Kangxi and had the auspicious meaning of having many children, many talents, many fields, and long life. Prince Gong's Mansion also had many Fu characters hidden in the railings, flower windows, lintel, and bat shapes. It was said that there were more than 10,000 Fu characters in total. The good fortune of Prince Gong's Mansion came from the decoration of these words, making it one of the places where Beijingers pursued good fortune.
The Predecessor of Prince Gong's Mansion
The predecessor of Prince Gong's Mansion was the mansion of He Shen, the favorite minister of the Qianlong period.
Where is Prince Gong's Mansion?
Prince Gong's Mansion was located on Liuyin Street on the west bank of Qianhai, Shichahai, Xicheng District, Beijing City. The specific address was 17 Qianhai West Street, Xicheng District, Beijing City. Prince Gong's Mansion occupied an area of about 60,000 square meters, including the mansion and the garden. The mansion occupied 32260 square meters, and the garden occupied 28860 square meters. Prince Gong's Mansion was the largest mansion in the Qing Dynasty and the only one that was open to the public.
What is the relationship between Prince Qing's Mansion and Prince Gong's Mansion?
Prince Qing's Mansion had a direct relationship with Prince Gong's Mansion. Prince Qing's Mansion was originally a mansion given to Prince Qing Yonglin by Emperor Jiaqing of the Qing Dynasty. Later, Emperor Xianfeng gave it to Prince Gong, and renamed it Prince Gong's Mansion. Therefore, Prince Qing's Mansion changed its name to Prince Gong's Mansion. The two were different naming stages of the same building.
Construction Time of Prince Gong's Mansion
Prince Gong's Mansion was built in the 49th year of Qianlong (1784).
The Fu character in Prince Gong's Mansion
The word "fortune" in Prince Gong's Mansion was called "the best fortune in the world". This Fu stele was written by Emperor Kangxi, and it was engraved with the seal of "Treasure of Emperor Kangxi". The writing method of the Fu character implied five kinds of characters: "son, field, talent, longevity, and blessing", meaning "many sons, many fields, many talents, many longevity, and many blessings". The Fu stele was hidden in the Secret Cloud Cave in the garden of Prince Gong's residence and was considered the treasure of Prince Gong's residence. This stele was the only 'blessing' in the world that combined the five blessings and longevity. It was also known as the 'Longevity Blessing' and the 'First Blessing in the World'. The existence of the monument attracted many tourists to touch it, hoping to get some good fortune. Apart from the Fu stele, there were other buildings and scenic spots related to Fu in Prince Gong's Mansion, such as the Pavilion of Many Blessings, the Pavilion of Blessings Mirror, the Bat (Blessing) Pool, and the Bat (Blessing) Hall. The entire Prince Gong's Mansion was known as the "Garden of Ten Thousand Blessings", and the blessing culture was one of its major characteristics.