Delving into the 'One Museum, Four Zones' of the Liwan Museum in Guangzhou (Part 4)

Today, we share the second exhibition area of the Liwan Museum — Xiguan Mansions. With the reconstructed Xiguan Mansion as the main building, it opened to the public in 2000. The exhibition partially recreates the typical pattern of traditional Xiguan Mansions and the living conditions and cultural landscape of Xiguan residences through household furnishings and situational displays. Xiguan Mansions, prevalent in the Xiguan area of Guangzhou during the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China, are known for their tall entrance halls, exquisite architecture, and meticulous decorations. They are acclaimed as the 'jewel of Lingnan residential architecture culture.' Xiguan Mansions are spacious and bright, combining halls with gardens, and are beautifully decorated. They are mostly brick-and-wood structures with blue brick bases and tall main doors inlaid with granite. The layout is based on the traditional central plains' main hall house form, generally extending in the depth direction, usually occupying a large area, rich in Xiguan characteristics, with architectural styles mostly Chinese. The basic structure includes a brick-and-wood framework, three sections, three gabled roofs, three bays on the front elevation, and a main door with a blue brick base and sliding lattice doors and stone door frames. Xiguan Mansions can also be seven sections deep, with living rooms, small halls, study rooms, and gardens inside, mainly built by compradors and merchants. The features of Xiguan Mansions include: a 'three-sided pass' layout; the 'three-piece head' consisting of a foot door, sliding lattice door, and main door; hard mountain roofs; threshold windows; blue brick bases; granite streets; patios; Qingyun alleys; wooden staircases; various traditional Guangzhou decorations and carvings. Entering a Xiguan Mansion, with over six meters of space height, there is no sense of oppression. Images 1-6 are of the side hall; images 7-10 are of the main hall; images 11-15 are of the dining hall; images 16-17 are of the study; images 18-20 are of the second floor and the rooftop.