[2025 Jinzhong Attraction] Travel Guide for Kong Xiangxi House (Updated May)

1. Cultural History: The Kong Xiangxi Residence in Taigucheng has greater cultural significance than architectural value. Kong Xiangxi and his family barely lived there; it was mainly his father who resided there. What made it famous was Chiang Kai-shek's visit with Soong Mei-ling in the winter of 1934 to see Kong's father, an event documented in a film. That day, military and political officials from Shanxi, Shaanxi, and Jin-Sui regions gathered there. Chiang toured Kong's east garden and had a meal. The road conditions from Taiyuan to Taigucheng were poor then, showing Chiang's sincerity. Even today, the roads are not good, and the hutongs in Taigucheng's old town, especially around Kong's residence, are very narrow. It's unclear where all those cars parked back then. During the war against Japan, the Kong residence was requisitioned by Japanese forces. After victory, it was borrowed by the Jin-Sui Army and converted into a hospital and military station. Comrade Deng Xiaoping visited the residence in August 1948, by which time the Kong family had already left. At that time, Deng Xiaoping served as the First Secretary of the CPC Central Committee's Central Plains Bureau and Political Commissar of the Central Plains Military Region and Field Army. This is part of the charm of historical residences. Reflecting on history, who could have imagined that the famous residence of Minister Kong from the Republic era would become a tourist attraction decades later? In May 2013, Kong Xiangxi's former residence (Kong Family Mansion) was listed as a National Key Cultural Relic Protection Unit in the seventh batch. 2. Travel Guide: Address: No. 1 Shangguan Lane, Taigucheng County, Jinzhong City Opening Hours: 8:00-18:30 Admission: 45.0 yuan Recommended Visit Duration: 2 hours Parking Information: During holidays, you can park your car in a school courtyard in the hutong near the old residence.

There are many Ming and Qing Dynasty courtyards in northern China, such as the Wang Family Courtyard, known as the "Folk Forbidden City", the Qiao Family Courtyard, known as the "Pearl of Northern Residential Architecture", and the Li Family Courtyard, which is known as one of the "Three Lotus Flowers of Jin Merchants" along with the Qiao Family Courtyard and the Wang Family Courtyard. They are all representative of northern residential architecture due to their unique architecture, exquisite carvings, and the hard work of the families who built them. This is why we hear sayings like "Qiao Family for fame, Wang Family for courtyards, Li Family for kindness" and see the unique beauty of the Jin Merchant Courtyards. The 27th stop in the Traveling in Shanxi series is the Kong Xiangxi Residence, which was built during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty and completed during the Xianfeng period. The main building faces north, but the courtyard has a double courtyard and double lighting, giving it a positive feel. The Kong Family Courtyard, also known as the Kong Xiangxi Residence, was originally the residence of the ruined gentry Meng Guangyu in Taigu. Unlike other Jin Merchant Courtyards in Taigu and the surrounding area, the history of the Kong Xiangxi Residence is more closely linked to figures from the Republic of China, such as Kong Xiangxi and Chiang Kai-shek. So while admiring the beauty of the courtyard, you can also learn about the history of the Republic of China, which gives the courtyard a lively atmosphere and an enduring soul. 🧡Features: ✔️Northern residence + southern garden = strong combination ✔️Buildings are staggered in height, with a clear hierarchy ✔️Thoughtful and profound details with good meanings 📍TIPS: 📌Location: Search for Kong Xiangxi Residence in your navigation app. 💰Tickets: CNY 60 per person, must be purchased on site. ⏱️Opening hours: 8:00–17:30 ⌚️Tour duration: 1–2 hours 🅿️Parking: There are parking spaces on the auxiliary roads of Taigu Street, free of charge. The alley where the attraction is located is narrow, and it is crowded when entering from South Street. There is no parking, and many of the alleys are one-way streets, so it is more convenient to park on the auxiliary road of Jicheng West Street and walk into the alley. 💚Nearby: The alley where the Kong Xiangxi Residence is located leads to South Street, which is the old commercial street of Taigu County. The bustling atmosphere of the past is still clearly visible, so you can take a stroll. 💚Food: Taigu's specialties include Taigu cake, Taigu smoked pigeon, Taigu Guilingji, oat noodles, and Lang dates. Taigu cake is a traditional Shanxi delicacy, so be sure to try it before you leave. It is crispy and delicious, with a moderate sweetness.

| Residence of the Minister of Finance of the Republic of China. Kong Family Courtyard, also known as Kong Xiangxi Courtyard, is located in Taigu County, Jinzhong City, Shanxi Province. It was built in the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty and completed in the Xianfeng period of the Qing Dynasty. The main building has a bucket arch and flying eaves, carved beams and painted buildings, gold and powder, and luxurious decorations. The courtyard building is simple, heavy, and the pavilions and pavilions are reasonably arranged. The corridor and flying eaves are intriguing, and the carved beams and painted buildings are magnificent. It is also a typical relic of Shanxi courtyard houses. The Kong Family Courtyard has a characteristic of building in the opposite direction, which is inconsistent with the general courtyard, and is built in the opposite direction, so the Kong family will make money. The Kong family's old house has a history of 200 years from the root, because he also bought it from others later, although people are gone, the house is still there, and I don't know if there is any experience in his fortune in the wall. Ticket: 60

|||Taigu Travel. Sixty miles south from Taiyuan lies the Taigu District in the center of Shanxi. Wandering through the ancient streets, one's eyes are greeted by old houses, old mansions, and old courtyards, while the mottled and aged walls seem to tell of past prosperity. The old residence of Kong Xiangxi, the Minister of Finance during the Republic of China, the White Pagoda of the Wubian Monastery built during the Western Jin Dynasty (272 AD), the Ming Dynasty Drum Tower... all bear witness to the scenes of bygone days.