House of the Huangcheng Chancellor

House of the Huangcheng Chancellor in Jincheng of Shanxi Province is the former residence of Chen Tingjing. It is a large complex built in the Ming and Qing Dynasties (1368 - 1911). Chen Tingjing was the Grand Secretary of Pavilion of Literary Profundity of the Qing Dynasty. He was the teacher of Emperor Kangxi (1654 - 1722) and the chief editor of Kangxi Dictionary. Emperor Kangxi had stayed at the house twice, so the title 'Huangcheng' (Imperial City) is given to this chancellor's mansion.

Covering an area of 43,000 square yards (36,000 square meters), House of the Huangcheng Chancellor is a castle-like structure hugging the mountain. It is divided into an Inner City and an Outer City with 16 courtyards and 640 rooms, showing visitors the once prosperous scholarly Chen family, a large clan that had produced officials for the imperial court for generations.

The Outer City was completed in 1703, adjoining the west wall of the Inner City. It was the living place of Chen Tingjing and his family. The major construction in the east includes Grand Sectary Mansion, West Garden, and Ladies' Yard. South Academy, Feiyu Pavilion, Eight Diagrams Pavilion, and Patriarch Temple are located in the south of the Outer City.

 Stone Arches
Entering from the gate of Zhongdao Villa, you will see a big stone arch in the middle of the road with three sub-arches. A smaller one is right behind it. They were deliberately carved with dragons, phoenixes, and other auspicious animals, which symbolize good luck in Chinese traditional culture. The official titles of Chen Tingjing and his family were also carved on the plaque.

 Grand Secretary Mansion (Zhongzai Mansion)
Grand Secretary Mansion is to the north of the arches. Stepping through the gate, you will find a narrow court with a back room on the south. There is a gate named Ruyi in the east, leading visitors to the East Study. Going across the Second Gate on the north, you will get to a square court with Examiner's Hall (Dianhan Tang) right in front of you, which was originally served as the reception room. The plaque was presented by Emperor Kangxi in 1700, to praise Chen's great contributions of selecting talents to the imperial court. There is a sandalwood screen and a rosewood chair in the center of the hall. Wooden boards on the two sides were carved with official ranks of Chen Tingjing. Walking through Examiner's Hall, you will enter the living yard of the host. The principal room was once the bedroom of Chen Tingjing, and became the imperial residence of Emperor Kangxi afterwards. There is a portrayal of the emperor hanging in the center of the room, with his original handwriting on the two sides. The furniture all maintains in its original place.

 West Garden (Mu Garden)
Getting out of Grand Secretary Mansion from the side gate, you will walk into the West Garden. It was a place for ladies in the Chen family to have fun in leisure time. Ladies were not allowed to go out of the residence, so climbing up Wanghe Pavilion, which is on the west of the garden, was the only way to see the beautiful scenery outside the huge mansion.

Although it is small in size, the garden was delicately designed with rockeries, pool, parterres and corridors. The rockery imitates the shape of Mount Taishan in Shandong Province, the first of China's Five Great Mountains. It is surrounded by Clam Pool in the center of the garden.

 Ladies' Yard
To the north of the West Garden is the Ladies' Yard, the living place for girls of the Chen family. Rooms here are lower than in other courtyards, representing the lower social status of women in feudalistic society. The roofs are uniquely designed with a curve at the junction of two slopes instead of the pointed roofs like others, which is also a symbol of lower class in feudalistic building regulations.

The Inner City was built in the late Ming Dynasty (1632) by Chen Tingjing's uncle. During that time, the dynasty was about to collapse. As an official family, the residence of Family Chen was often attacked by rebels. Therefore, the Inner City was built as a fortification. There are also many constructions, including Chen Family Ancestral Hall, Tower of Rivers and Mountains, Shideju Residence, Shudeju Residence, Qilinyuan Courtyard, and Inspector's House.

 Tower of Rivers and Mountains
As the landmark of House of the Huangcheng Chancellor, this tower is in the north of the Inner City. It is the highest structure in the whole region, measuring about 98 feet (30 meters) in height. There are seven floors with one of them underground. On the top of the tower, crenels and walls are built to observe the movement of enemies. Wells and millstones are also set here to deal with the possible long-term siege.

 China Dictionary Museum
In order to honor the hard work of Chen Tingjing in editing the Kangxi Dictionary (the most important dictionary in ancient China), the Dictionary Museum is set in Shideju Residence, the oldest courtyard in Chen's mansion. It is the first themed dictionary museum in China. There are over 15,000 dictionaries from ancient wordbooks to modern dictionaries and lexicons. The exhibitions include Development History of Chinese Dictionaries and Dictionaries Display. The display mainly shows Chinese dictionaries and lexicons. There is also a Yiyan Cabinet, collecting foreign dictionaries.

Greeting Emperor Ceremony	April 1 to October 31: 9:00	Scenic Area Square
	November 1 to March 31: 9:30
Bayinhui Music Show	10:30,16:30	Cave of Fighters Platform
Chimes Dancing Show	10:30, 16:30	Qilinyuan Courtyard

The scenic area is 62 miles (100 kilometers) from Luoyang, 90 miles (145 kilometers) from Zhengzhou, and 208 miles (334 kilometers) from Taiyuan.

Take coaches from Luoyang Bus Station, Zhengzhou Long-distance Central Bus Station (South Central Station), or Taiyuan Jiannan Bus Station to Jincheng Bus Station (East Passenger Transport Station), and then take a direct bus to the destination;

Take trains from Luoyang Guanlin Railway Station, Zhengzhou Railway Station, or Taiyuan Railway Station to Jincheng Railway Station. Take a taxi or walk to Huijun Bus Stop to take bus no. 5 to Jincheng Bus Station (East Passenger Transport Station), and take the direct bus there.

In addition, tourists from Luoyang can also take a train from Luoyang Railway Station to Yangcheng Railway Station, and then hire a taxi to the mansion.
 

Admission Fee	April 1 to October 31	CNY 120
	November 1 to December 31	CNY 80
	January 1 to March 31	CNY 100
	Half-Price Ticket: for children between 3.9 and 4.6 feet (1.2 and 1.4 meters) in height
	Free Entry: for children less than 3.9 feet (1.2 meters) in height
Opening Hours	April 1 to October 31	8:00 – 19:00
	November 1 to March 31	8:00 – 17:00