Kang Baiwan’s Mansion (康百万庄园), also known as Kang Billionaire’s Mansion, located in Gongyi, Zhengzhou City, dates back to the mid-Ming Dynasty, with significant expansion during the late Ming and early Qing Dynasties, reaching its peak during the reign of Emperor Qianlong. Covering an area of 64,300 square meters, it stands as a representative of fortified feudal architecture typical of the 17th and 18th centuries on the Loess Plateau in northern China, earning accolades as a spiritual home of the Yu businessmen and a model of ancient architecture in the Central Plains.
The Kang family lineage, spanning from the sixth generation ancestor Kang Shaojing to the eighteenth generation Kang Tinglan, flourished over twelve generations for more than four hundred years across the Ming, Qing, and Republic of China periods. They amassed wealth in the provinces of Henan, Shandong, and Shaanxi, traversing six rivers including the Luo, Yellow, Yun, Yi, Jing, and Wei, owning thousands of acres of fertile land, and accumulating immeasurable wealth.
Within the estate are 33 courtyards, 53 buildings, over 1,300 rooms, and 73 cave dwellings. The estate is divided into more than ten sections, including the main residential area on the upper part of the fortress, the lower residential area, the South Grand Courtyard, the ancestral hall area, workshop area, vegetable garden area, Longwogou, Jinguzhai, garden, and warehouse area.
Table of Contents
- Basic Information
- Location and Transportation
- Highlights of Kang Baiwan’s Mansion
- Vlog about Kang Baiwan’s Mansion
- Other Attractions in Gongyi
Basic Information
| Estimated Length of Tour | Half a day |
| Ticket Price | 50 RMB |
| Opening Hours | 8.00 – 17.30; Last admission: 17.00 |
| Telephone Number | 0086-0371-64322766 |
Location and Transportation
Kang Baiwan’s Mansion is located at No. 59 Zhuangyuan Road, Kangdian Town, Gongyi City, Zhengzhou, Henan Province. To reach the mansion from Gongyi Bus Station, take Bus No. 2 to the City Hospital, then transfer to Bus No. 8, which will take you directly to the mansion. The mansion is approximately 8.6 kilometers away from the center of Gongyi City, and a taxi ride would take around 13 minutes to reach the destination.
Highlights of Kang Baiwan’s Mansion
Main Residential Area
Covering an area of 8,000 square meters, the main residential area of Kang Baiwan’s Mansion served as the living quarters for the Kang family. It stretches 83 meters from north to south and 73 meters from east to west, with a central courtyard as the axis. This area, the heart of the estate, is remarkably well-preserved. The grand entrance gate facing west to east is adorned with 98 copper door studs and two lion-shaped copper door knockers, symbolizing the status and prestige of the homeowner. Comprising seven courtyards, the architectural style of the main residential area mostly follows the enclosed format of a traditional Chinese courtyard house. The front courtyards feature numerous artificial hills, winding corridors, moon gates, and flower walls to add layers to the estate, complemented by grapevines, pomegranate trees, bamboo, and other decorative elements.
Various Sculptures
Kang Baiwan’s Mansion boasts a variety of sculptures, including stone carvings, wood carvings, and brick carvings, predominantly featuring figures, flowers, birds, and animals. Noteworthy artistic pieces include a first-grade stone lintel, which serves as a national standard for stone carvings, as well as exquisite works such as the golden nanmu wood carved canopy bed, the Wang family stone archway, and the Kang Lin Sanbei Tower, which took over 17,000 working hours to create. These artworks employ various techniques such as through-carving, round carving, and relief carving, showcasing the exceptional skill and wisdom of folk craftsmen from the Ming and Qing dynasties and standing as treasures in the art of sculpture.
Moto Plaque
The “Leaving Residue Plaque (留余匾)” is a family motto plaque from the Kang family, composed by the Qing Dynasty Hanlin Scholar Niu Xuan. It is one of the treasured Chinese plaques displayed in the Kang Baiwan’s Mansion. Measuring 1.65 meters in length and 0.75 meters in width, the plaque is carved from boxwood and hangs in the main reception hall of the mansion. It imparts teachings to future generations, urging them to leave room for others: not exhausting their skills for personal gain, not squandering their wealth for personal glory, not exploiting the common people for personal gain, and not using up all their blessings, leaving some for future generations.
