Ji Liao Du Shi Mansion was originally constructed in the late Ming Dynasty by Yuan Chonghuan, the Minister of War at that time, who was ordered to oversee the defense of Ji and Liao regions, and stationed in Ningyuan (Xingcheng). The mansion showcases the history of the Ming and Qing Dynasties from four perspectives.
The main hall exhibition area includes the main hall, the curtain hall, and the photo-rubbing office. The main hall, also known as the Zheng Hall, is the core building of the Du Shi Mansion and a symbol of the power of high-ranking officials in the feudal society. The main hall exhibition area is restored according to the regulations of the first-class civil officials of the Ming Dynasty, recreating the original appearance of the Du Shi Mansion’s main hall and reviving its historical grandeur.
On the west side of the main hall is the ‘photo-rubbing office’, where documents were reviewed. On the east side is the ‘curtain hall’, where the staff of the Du Shi worked.
The Six Sections exhibition area is located on the east and west sides in front of the main hall, representing the ‘personnel, household, rites, military, criminal, and engineering’ sections, which were the administrative offices dispatched by the central six ministries at that time. After the exhibition, the eastern sections of personnel, household, and rites mainly provide historical materials related to the establishment and evolution of the Du Shi Mansion, focusing on the historical basis for the establishment of the Ji Liao Du Shi Mansion in Ningyuan. The western sections of military, criminal, and engineering mainly display the life stories of various heroes who died in the wars in Liaodong during the Ming and Qing Dynasties.
The second hall exhibition area mainly includes the main hall, the meeting hall, the signature room, and the east and west wing rooms, which were the places for officials of all levels to handle affairs and hold meetings. In the exhibition of the second hall, the original style is mainly restored, and two sets of silicone figure statues are displayed inside the main room, one depicting the scene of the Ningyuan defense war, and the other depicting the scene of Yuan Chonghuan studying military tactics. The side rooms mainly display the official costumes of the Ming and Qing Dynasties.
The clerk’s quarters are the offices and accommodations for the officials and soldiers who guard the prisoners in the mansion, and now mainly display the cold weapons, firearms, equipment, armor, and flags of the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The prison quarters are the places where prisoners are detained, and now the scene of the Ming Dynasty Du Shi Mansion’s prison quarters is restored through figure statues. The opening hours and specific business status are subject to the actual opening situation on the day.
