Zhengzhou Daokang Million Manor Travel Guide

Kangwanwan Manor, a luxury mansion in the Central Plains

Surrounded by green mountains and clear waters, the Henan merchant civilization accompanies it. In the birthplace of Hetu and Luoshu, at the intersection where the ancient culture of the Central Plains is nurtured, and on the tourist route along the three points of Huangzheng, Bian, and Luoshu, there is a bright pearl shining, which spans the Ming Dynasty. Kangwanwan Manor in Gongyi City was a large-scale feudal landlord manor in three historical periods: Qing Dynasty, Qing Dynasty and Republic of China. The manor was named a national key cultural relic protection unit in 2001, and was approved as a national AAAA tourist attraction in 2005.

Kang Wanwan Manor is a large-scale feudal landlord's manor that spans the Ming, Qing and Republic of China periods. It is backed by Mang Mountains, faces Luoshui River, faces the natural dangers of the Yellow River in the north, and overlooks the Songyue Barrier in the south. The mountain is in a natural position, the environment is beautiful, it is condescending, and the terrain is dangerous. Although it is made by humans, it seems to be the work of nature, which fully embodies the traditional Chinese concept of "harmony between man and nature, and learning from nature". It is located between Zhengzhou, the capital of Henan Province, and Luoyang, the ancient capital of the Nine Dynasties. It is 70 kilometers away from Zhengzhou, 60 kilometers away from Luoyang, and 4 kilometers away from the Gongyi exit of Lianhuo Expressway. Gongyi City Bus No. 11 and Tourist Bus No. 101 can be directly reached, and the transportation is convenient.

The Kang Wanwan family, with the ambition to conquer the world with wealth and the spirit of conquering the world for profit, started its business in the Ming Dynasty, gradually flourished in the early Qing Dynasty, reached its peak during the Qianlong period, gradually declined after the Xianfeng period, and declined in the middle of the Republic of China. From the sixth ancestor Kang Shaojing to the eighteenth Kang Tinglan, it spanned the three historical periods of Ming, Qing and the Republic of China. It has been prosperous for twelve generations for more than 400 years. It is rich in the three provinces of Henan, Shandong and Shaanxi, and its ships are sailing in Luo, Huang and Yun. , Yi, Jing and Weiliu rivers, thousands of hectares of fertile farmland, and countless wealth. "The head rests on Jingyang and Xi'an, the feet rest on Linyi and Jinan; a horse runs a thousand miles without eating other people's grass, and a man walks a thousand miles and is surrounded by Kang family fields" is a true portrayal of it.

Some people may ask: Who is Kang Wanwan? "Kang Wanwan" does not only refer to a specific person, but also the collective name for the entire Kang family represented by Kang Yingkui since the Ming and Qing Dynasties. . "Kang Baiwan" made his fortune by river transportation, became rich by land, and obtained official positions by "contribution". He was awarded many times by the court, and his highest official rank reached the third rank, and he was awarded the title of prefect several times. Among them, there is Kang Shaojing, the sixth generation ancestor who started the business, Kang Dayong, the 12th generation manor owner who pioneered river navigation and established a million-dollar business, Kang Yingkui, the 14th generation manor owner who was rich in three provinces and hung the "Qianhe" plaque twice. There was Kang Daoshun, the fifteenth-generation manor owner who had a third-rank official residence and carried out extensive construction projects, and Kang Jiande, the seventeenth-generation manor owner who escorted the Empress Dowager Cixi and Emperor Guangxu back to the palace... Especially in 1901, he spent huge sums of money to build the palace, build floating bridges, and repair Royal Road, welcomed the two palaces and contributed a large amount of silver. He was bestowed by the Empress Dowager Cixi and became famous all over the world.

In order to reflect their identity, the Kang Wanwan family carried out extensive construction projects and built a huge landowner's manor. The whole manor consists of 19 parts and covers an area of ??more than 240 acres. It is solemn, magnificent and elegant. It is a magnificent building complex integrating "ancient, large, elegant and beautiful". It is known as the North China Loess Plateau in the 17th and 18th centuries. Feudal fortresses are representative of architecture. The manor was built in the middle of the Ming Dynasty and began to take shape in the early Ming and Qing Dynasties. During the construction process, Ming Dynasty courtyards such as Sigou and Zhanggou, Longwogou, Zhaishang main residential area, South courtyard, warehouse area, shops, breeding area, ancestral hall, lumber factory, shipyard, Jingu Village were gradually formed. Qing Dynasty buildings with different functions are supplemented by auxiliary buildings such as stele towers, archways, gardens, etc., thus forming a well-proportioned, fully functional and majestic large manor surrounded by mountains and rivers. Today, although it has gone through hundreds of years of vicissitudes, but after brushing away the dust of history and looking through the tunnel of time and space, it is not difficult to find that the cornices, green tiles and high walls not only carry a heavy history, but also contain rich cultural information. It also represents a bloodline and the essence of a region, demonstrating the broad and profound Chinese civilization.

At present, the main preserved parts of Kangwanwan Manor include the main residence area, the hotel area, the south courtyard, and the ancestral hall area, with a construction area of ??64,300 square meters. Today we mainly visit the main residence area on Zhaishang, which is one of the 19 parts of the entire manor. This building complex is located halfway up Mang Mountain. Viewed from a distance, its topography looks like a lotus on the bank of the Luo River. Viewed from a height, its topography looks like a lotus drinking water from the Luo River. Nian turtle. As far as the "Feng Shui" we usually talk about, it also means "a golden turtle exploring the water". The big turtle was also called Ao in ancient times. It is said that the Kang family built a residential area here to "dominate" and prosper in both people and wealth. meaning. On the other hand, in the middle and late Qing Dynasty, the White Lotus Sect, the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, and the Nian Army continued to have uprisings, so it was more practical to set up strongholds in dangerous places.

The architectural style of Kangwanwan Manor is different from the courtyards and gang culture of Shanxi merchants, as well as the villas and theater layouts of Huizhou merchants. The traditional cultural site selection includes building buildings facing the street, cave dwellings against the mountains, docks along the river, and stronghold walls. This not only retains the form of folk houses on the Loess Plateau and the courtyard houses in the north, but also absorbs the characteristics of government buildings, gardens, and military fortress buildings. Complete, rationally laid out, exquisitely designed and unique, it combines the simplicity and elegance of the south with the roughness and heaviness of the north. It is the most representative group of ancient buildings among the folk houses in the Central Plains and is known as a wonder of Central Plains art.

As for the glorious history of "Kang Wanwan", people are talking about it more: in 1900, when the Eight-Power Allied Forces invaded Beijing, Empress Dowager Cixi and Emperor Guangxu fled to Xi'an in a panic. In 1901, when the Empress Dowager Cixi and Emperor Guangxu were returning to Beijing, they passed by our Gong County. Due to the famine and financial deficit in Henan at that time, the local prefect could not afford to receive them, so they asked the Kang family to fund the reception. Since they did not know whether the Empress Dowager Cixi and Emperor Guangxu would go by water or land, they made two preparations. First, they built a palace at Dongheishiguan and built a pontoon bridge on the Luo River. Five dragon boats were built on the Luo River. In order to berth these five large ships, five docks were specially built on the east bank of Luoshui in the north of Nanyaowan Village, commonly known as Dragon Yao. Because the Luo River was flooded at that time, Cixi did not take the waterway. , so after we arrived in Gongyi, we only stayed in this palace for one night. Before leaving the next day, Kang Hongyou donated 1 million taels of silver to Cixi through Li Lianying. Cixi was very happy and said, "I don't know where this place is." There are also millionaires." Therefore, the title "Kang millionaire" became famous all over the world through Cixi's Chrysostom.

Kangwanwan Manor is not only famous for its ancient architectural features, but also praised for its profound cultural heritage. Its ubiquitous details make the grand manor more charming. The brick carvings, wood carvings, stone carvings and other artistic components scattered throughout the manor have exquisite knife skills, proficient craftsmanship, various contents, and both form and spirit. Among them, there are many "Apprentice to the teacher and seek study", "Respect the old and love the young", "Aspire to become a talent", and "Five sons win the championship". " and other philosophical carving patterns, they are not only the crystallization of the ingenuity of the working people, but also rare art treasures. Each carving handicraft of Kang Wanwan family is different, each one has new ideas, and incorporates some common patterns in the south. Each piece has profound educational significance for the descendants of the Dukang family. On display in the manor are more than 4,000 pieces of precious cultural relics used by the Kang family, including furniture, curios, paintings and calligraphy by celebrities, which not only reproduce the original appearance of luxurious life, but also reflect the social customs of the time. As a special product of a specific historical period, Kangwanwan Manor has profound historical accumulation and rich artistic connotation, and has important reference value for studying the history of ancient Chinese architecture and the folk customs of the Central Plains region.

The historical value, scientific value and artistic value of Kangwanwan Manor have always been valued by experts at home and abroad. Li Chuanze, a famous Chinese architect, called the manor "the most complete and typical representative of hard-mountain-style architecture in the country." After visiting, many experts called it "a treasure of traditional architecture and a model of folk art."

Kangwanwan Manor is a symbol left by history, a microcosm of the times, and a witness to the vicissitudes of a family’s history...