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PREFACE

The Mandarin’s House (Zheng Guanying’s Family House) was the ancestral home of Zheng Guanying, an eminent intellectual figure in the late Qing Dynasty. There Zheng finished his world-famous masterpiece Shengshi Weiyan (Words of Warning in Times of Prosperity). The construction of the house was initiated by Zheng Wenrui, the father of Zheng Guanying, and the architecture was later expanded by the Zheng brothers. The couplets inscribed on wooden tablets hung in the main hall of “Yu-Qing-Tang” (Yuqing Mansion) show that the house might have been built before the year 1869.

The Mandarin’s House, covering an area of nearly 4000 square metres, is still the largest private residence in Macao. Having the style of traditional Guangdong dwellings, it also features western architectural detailing. This demonstrates the fact that Macao is the encounter of Chinese and Western cultures.

Starting from the middle of the last century, the descendants of the Zheng family have been living scattered in different places. Hence the house had been rented out. Like the film “The House of 72 Tenants”, it was once occupied by many lodgers. Several parts of the building had been reconstructed or built on. Long-standing lack of conservation and maintenance, as well as several fire cases, had led to the collapse of part of its structure. More than 80% of the house was suffering from different degrees of damage when the government got its proprietorship in 2001.

With the assistance from experts in architectural restoration and from former tenants, the house was restored based on the principles of authenticity and integrity. The original features of the architecture could be resumed only after eight years’ effort.

Through photos of the house before the restoration and information about the restoration materials and architectural components, this exhibition aims to let the general public have primary understanding on the conservation process of the house. We also hope to bring people to recognise the complexities involved in building restorations as well as to foster deeper appreciation and respect in the architectural heritage such that it will be cherished by all.

中國世界遺產網