Baoding Zhili Governor's Office Cultural Relics and Monuments Scenery

Located in the ancient city of Baoding, Zhili Governor's Office is a national key cultural relic protection unit and the only and most well-preserved provincial capital of Qing Dynasty in China. This official office was established in the seventh year of Yongzheng (1729) and was abolished after the Qing Dynasty, lasting 182 years. It can be described as "a governor's office, half a portrayal of Qing history."

As an appointed official sent by the imperial court, the governor gradually formed an official system from the Ming Dynasty. After Beijing Dingding in Qing Dynasty, the establishment of governors and governors was further institutionalized, and the period of governors coexisting appeared in the early Qing Dynasty. Soon, the governor changed from temporary dispatch to customization, from specializing in military affairs to military-civilian integration, and actually became the highest military and political chief in the region.

Zhili is an important capital and auxiliary capital at the foot of the emperor, and its status is more important than other provinces. The governor of Zhili experienced a transitional period from central to local. It is the duty of the governor to unify the army. In addition to maintaining local law and order, the governor of Zhili is also responsible for defending the capital. Therefore, there was a poem at that time: "The three capitals assist the government and defend the capital." It shows that the court attached special importance to the governor of Zhili to defend the capital.

In the second year of Yongzheng, Li was the first governor of Zhili, and in the third year (19 1 1), Zhang was the governor of Zhili. In the middle of 187, * * * produced 73 governors of Zhili, some of whom only served for a few months, only Fang Guancheng and Fang Guancheng. Among them, Li Hongzhang's term of office is the longest, and he served three times, which lasted for 28 years. This frequent turnover of less than two years on average is not only due to the death, dismissal or demotion of some governors, but also a means for the central government of the Qing Dynasty to control local officials. Because the imperial court was afraid that local officials would live in the same place for a long time and it was difficult to control it, it thought that proper replacement could avoid this drawback.

The area under the jurisdiction of Governor Zhili is far larger than the administrative divisions of Hebei Province today. Especially in the late Qing Dynasty, the jurisdiction area reached 7 states 104 county, and the administrative divisions extended to Inner Mongolia, Shandong, Fengtian and parts of Shanxi, with a length of more than 2,600 miles from north to south and a width of 1200 miles from east to west. With the increase of foreign affairs, trade and coastal defense affairs, the Qing court added the Minister of Beiyang Trade and the Minister of Nanyang Trade, and stipulated that the Governor of Zhili also served as the Minister of Beiyang Trade. When the modern navy was established in the late Qing Dynasty, the court appointed Li Hongzhang, then the governor of Zhili, to be responsible for the preparation, which shows that the governor of Zhili played an important role in the late Qing Dynasty.

As important ministers of the feudal dynasty, some Zhili governors also did some practical things for the local government during their term of office. According to historical records, Zeng Guofan was ordered to supervise the military affairs of Zhili, Shandong and Henan provinces, and officially became the governor of Zhili during the Tongzhi period. Zhili at that time, just after the Second Opium War, was in ruins everywhere, with famine everywhere, depressed people's livelihood, corrupt bureaucracy, lax military equipment and extremely chaotic social order. After Zeng Guofan took office, first, he rectified the bureaucracy, reduced the burden on the people, and strictly ordered all localities not to send any money except for applying for money and food, warning officials at all levels to "stay at home" and create conditions for the people to "recuperate"; The second is to clean up the prison proceedings, try all kinds of civil and criminal cases that have been backlogged for a long time, and formulate "Ten Things to Clean up the Litigation in Zhili"; Third, river regulation, dredging of Yongding River and reinforcement of north and south dikes have alleviated the occurrence of floods to some extent; The fourth is to relieve the famine and take corresponding relief measures. Although he served as the governor of Zhili for only over a year, his actions played an important role in the social stability and economic development of the jurisdiction at that time.

The predecessor of Zhili Governor's Office was Daning Office and General Staff Office. In the early years of Yongzheng, the former governor of Zhili was promoted to the governor of Zhili and was still stationed in Baoding, so the governor's office was rebuilt on the original basis. The architectural layout of the Governor's Mansion basically inherits the architectural features of the previous generation of mansions, and the main body is built on the north-south central axis, that is, the middle road; The east and west sides are symmetrical auxiliary buildings with a total area of about 30,000 square meters. The main buildings in the middle road mainly include the gate, the instrument door, the lobby, the second hall, the official residence, and the left and right wing rooms and wing rooms. Above the Black Gate of the Third Bay, a plaque inscribed by Yong Zhengdi "Zhili Governor's Office" hangs. The closed pattern and majestic atmosphere give people a daunting feeling. However, because the yamen is located at the foot of the emperor, all the buildings are relatively simple, and there is no gorgeous decoration such as paint.

Generally, the lobby of the Governor's Office is not directly used to hear all kinds of cases, but mainly the place where the Governor's Office holds grand congratulations and major government affairs activities, such as undertaking imperial edicts, paying homage, congratulating the emperor, queen mother and queen on their birthdays.

Entering from the lobby is the second hall, which is mainly used for the governor to receive foreign officials and their families, hold general etiquette activities and hear cases. On the east side of the second hall is the Chamber, where the Governor takes a break after class and discusses with his aides. The west side is called the notice hall, where bibliophiles sort out files and let the governor handle government affairs.

From the second hall to the inside, there is a flower wall, and there are straight corridors and hanging flower doors in the middle that lead directly to the inner court and the upper court residence. The official residence is the place where the governor handles daily government affairs and reviews official documents; The square is where the governor and his family live. Outsiders are usually forbidden to enter the inner room. The main buildings on the East Road of the Governor's Office are the Temple, Yin Hotel, Shogunate and East Flower Hall. The Silver Hotel is mainly used to entertain distinguished guests. The main buildings on the west road are official residences, stables, shogunate courts and small teaching fields.

In the modern history of China, Zhili Governor's Office was directly related to many important events. In the 26th year of Guangxu (1900), the Boxer Rebellion was in full swing, and Baoding was an important center of the Boxer Rebellion. In June 5438+10, the invading forces of Britain, France, Germany and Italy invaded Baoding, and the governor's office was occupied. Following Li Hongzhang's instructions, the governor of Zhili, Ting Yong, and other officials who stayed in the Governor's Office ordered the Zhili garrison to leave the provincial capital and let the invading army burn, kill and plunder. However, in the lobby of the Governor's Office, the invaders framed others to connive at "boxing bandits" killing foreigners and burning churches, and tried officials such as Ting Yong and Shen Jiaben and sentenced them to death. It is a great shame for the Chinese nation and the Governor's Office in Zhili to sit in the lobby of the Governor's Office to try China officials, and it is also a painful lesson that those who fall behind will be beaten.