The best-preserved Qing Dynasty Huizhou-style ancestral hall architecture in North China

The Huai Army Office Museum in Baoding, originally the Huai Army Martyrs' Shrine and Office, is a well-preserved modern architectural complex mainly in Huizhou style in North China, and a national key cultural relic protection unit. The Huai Army Office in Baoding was first built in the fourteenth year of Guangxu's reign (1888), under the supervision of Li Hongzhang, then Governor-General of Zhili and Minister of Beiyang. The Huai Army was an army recruited and trained by Li Hongzhang in Anhui in the first year of Tongzhi's reign (1862) under the order of Zeng Guofan and with the approval of the Qing court. After continuous expansion, it became an important national military force in the late Qing Dynasty, and gradually declined after the defeat in the Sino-Japanese War. The Huai Army Office in Baoding covers an area of over 30,000 square meters, with a building area of over 5,000 square meters. The east part is the building complex, and the west part is the garden area. The sacrificial area in the southeast is a Huizhou-style building surrounded by high walls. The office area and the servants' area in the northeast are parallel and progressive northern courtyard building complexes. The exquisite and beautiful Huizhou-style architecture is integrated with the simple and elegant northern architecture. The regularly arranged courtyard with patios, the meticulously carved brick, wood, and stone carvings, the Huizhou architectural art features such as brick outside but no wood, wood inside but no brick can be seen everywhere. The Martyrs' Shrine is a sacrificial institution established to commend the fallen soldiers. The Huai Army Martyrs' Shrine in Baoding was a memorial place specially built by Li Hongzhang, Governor-General of Zhili, to commemorate the Huai army soldiers who died in the suppression of the Nian Army, the defense of the coast, or died of illness from overwork after the fourth year of Tongzhi's reign (1865). The main building of the Huai Army Office, the Grand Opera House, is the largest existing closed opera house of the Qing Dynasty in China. Based on the Huai Army Office building complex, the museum holds three exhibitions on architectural art, the historical changes of ancient opera houses, and Baoding opera culture. The museum has permanent exhibitions, including the "Huizhou Style and Beijing Rhyme, A Century of Vicissitudes" architectural art exhibition in the front and back courtyards of the Martyrs' Shrine, which introduces the historical connotation and artistic value of the Huai Army Martyrs' Shrine and Office from multiple perspectives such as the Huai Army's profile, the construction of the Martyrs' Shrine, the operation of the office, and the architectural features; the "All Walks of Life, A Thousand Years of Opera House" exhibition on the history and culture of ancient Chinese opera houses in the reception courtyard, the opera house, and the ancestral hall, which consists of three parts: the display of opera houses throughout the dynasties, the experience of the office opera house, and an overview of Chinese opera, outlining the historical features and rich connotations of ancient Chinese opera houses; and the "Ancient City Opera Style, Baoding Opera Rhyme" exhibition on Baoding opera culture in the ancestral hall management courtyard, which displays the origin of Baoding opera, the charm of Baoding's old tunes, the genres, singing styles, and playwrights of Baoding local opera, demonstrating the ubiquitous opera art of Baoding. The Huai Army Office Museum is an important venue integrating architectural art, historical education, tourism, and opera inheritance, and is also a popular online celebrity for the inheritance of historical art and cultural and creative leisure.