Linxia East Mansion

On August 13th, I visited the Linxia East Mansion. The mansion was initially built in 1938 and completed in 1945, taking 8 years to finish. This mansion was the residence of Ma Buqing, the deputy commander of the 40th Group Army of the former Nationalist Party, located at No. 35, East Ring Road, Linxia City, Gansu Province. Ma Buqing sent his family back to his hometown Linxia due to the Japanese bombing of the rear area and began large-scale construction of this mansion. On August 22, 1949, Linxia was liberated, and the East Mansion was taken over by a unit of the First Field Army of the People's Liberation Army. The headquarters of Wang Zhen's army was stationed here before advancing to Qinghai. The East Mansion combines Chinese and Western architectural styles. The main entrance is a Western-style building with four Roman columns and a central Roman arch gate. Above the facade are eight carved vases, symbolizing the wish for peace from all directions. The buildings in the courtyard feature both traditional Chinese elements, such as brick carvings, wood carvings, and paintings, and Western elements, such as Roman columns, reflecting the perfect combination of various ethnic architectural arts. The brick carvings of the East Mansion are indeed famous, known as the 'Grand View Garden of Brick Carvings.' There are currently 189 brick carvings in the entire courtyard, each with its unique characteristics, innovative ideas, vivid shapes, delicate craftsmanship, and exquisite techniques. The brick carving patterns vividly express the charm of Chinese landscape painting, making them a masterpiece.