Taigucheng Residence of Kong Xiangxi

1. Cultural History: The Kong Xiangxi Residence in Taigucheng has greater cultural significance than architectural value. Kong Xiangxi and his family barely lived there; it was mainly his father who resided there. What made it famous was Chiang Kai-shek's visit with Soong Mei-ling in the winter of 1934 to see Kong's father, an event documented in a film. That day, military and political officials from Shanxi, Shaanxi, and Jin-Sui regions gathered there. Chiang toured Kong's east garden and had a meal. The road conditions from Taiyuan to Taigucheng were poor then, showing Chiang's sincerity. Even today, the roads are not good, and the hutongs in Taigucheng's old town, especially around Kong's residence, are very narrow. It's unclear where all those cars parked back then. During the war against Japan, the Kong residence was requisitioned by Japanese forces. After victory, it was borrowed by the Jin-Sui Army and converted into a hospital and military station. Comrade Deng Xiaoping visited the residence in August 1948, by which time the Kong family had already left. At that time, Deng Xiaoping served as the First Secretary of the CPC Central Committee's Central Plains Bureau and Political Commissar of the Central Plains Military Region and Field Army. This is part of the charm of historical residences. Reflecting on history, who could have imagined that the famous residence of Minister Kong from the Republic era would become a tourist attraction decades later? In May 2013, Kong Xiangxi's former residence (Kong Family Mansion) was listed as a National Key Cultural Relic Protection Unit in the seventh batch. 2. Travel Guide: Address: No. 1 Shangguan Lane, Taigucheng County, Jinzhong City Opening Hours: 8:00-18:30 Admission: 45.0 yuan Recommended Visit Duration: 2 hours Parking Information: During holidays, you can park your car in a school courtyard in the hutong near the old residence.