[2025 Shuangfeng Attraction] Travel Guide for The Former Residence of Tseng Kuo-Fan (Updated Apr)

| Zeng Guofan's Former Residence. 🌟Highlights: Located in Heye Town, Shuangfeng County, Loudi City, Hunan Province, China, Zeng Guofan's Former Residence is the family mansion of Zeng Guofan, an important official in the late Qing Dynasty. Its main buildings, including Fuhoutang and Baiyutang, are typical traditional residential styles of central Hunan, blending the solemnity of Qing Dynasty official residences with the simplicity of Hunan culture. 👍Most Recommended: Fuhoutang is the core building, constructed in 1865, covering an area of approximately 40,000 square meters. It features a courtyard layout with blue bricks and gray tiles, containing a study, ancestral hall, and courtyards. The design of the residence is simple and grand. Its library once housed tens of thousands of ancient books, reflecting Zeng Guofan's philosophy of "farming and studying to pass down through generations." Baiyutang, where Zeng Guofan lived in his early years, is smaller in scale and boasts a tranquil environment. The former residence displays Zeng Guofan's manuscripts, family letters, and historical relics, especially the renowned "Zeng Guofan Family Letters," which showcase his thoughts on scholarship, military affairs, and family management. Now a national key cultural relic protection site, it combines historical research and cultural tourism value, serving as an important window to understand the politics, culture, and history of the Xiang Army in the late Qing Dynasty.

We left Shaoshan and drove to Hengyang City, taking the Huyu Expressway and Xuguang Expressway. When we passed the boundary of Shuangfeng County, Loudi City, we saw a sign for Zeng Guofan's Former Residence, so we followed the sign to Futu Village, Heye Town. Later, we learned that Heye Town is a National Characteristic Scenic Tourism Town and a Hunan Provincial Historical and Cultural Town. There is a parking lot at the entrance of the village that can accommodate 20 to 30 cars, and parking is free. It was the Lunar New Year, and there were many stalls selling New Year goods on the streets of the town. The streets were crowded, and the festive atmosphere was strong. After passing through the street, we saw a large body of water, and across the water was a tall purple flag with the word "Shuai" (handsome) on it. The house by the water is Zeng Guofan's Former Residence, called Fuhou Hall, originally called Baben Hall, also known as Yiyong Hou Mansion, which was Zeng Guofan's marquis mansion. The house is about 130 meters long from east to west and about 140 meters wide from north to south, with a total area of more than 40,000 square meters and a building area of about 10,000 square meters. The main buildings include Baben Hall, Qiuque Study, Guipu Study, Yifang Hall, Siyun Hall, etc. In May 2006, Fuhou Hall was announced by the State Council as the sixth batch of national key cultural relics protection units.

🏝Zeng Guofan's Former Residence, also known as Fuhou Hall, is the former residence of Zeng Guofan, the leader of the Hunan Army in the late Qing Dynasty. It is located in Fuhou Hall Village, Heye Town, Shuangfeng County, Hunan Province. Fuhou Hall was built in the fourth year of the Tongzhi reign of the Qing Dynasty (1865). The entire building includes the half-moon pond in front of the gate, the gate tower, the main building of the Baben Hall, the Gongji, the Puji, the Diguang Study, the library, the lotus pond, the Niaohe Tower on the back mountain, etc. It covers an area of more than 40,000 square meters, with a building area of more than 10,000 square meters. 🏝Fuhou Hall has a unique architectural style, combining the characteristics of traditional Chinese architecture and Western architecture. The main building is a brick-wood structure, using a large number of architectural techniques such as dougong, sparrow replacement, and flower windows, with high artistic value. At the same time, Fuhou Hall also preserves a large number of historical relics, including calligraphy and paintings, furniture, and clothing of Zeng Guofan and his family, which are important physical materials for studying the history of Zeng Guofan and his family. 🏝Fuhou Hall was announced by the State Council as a national key cultural relic protection unit in 2006, and was rated as a national 4A-level tourist attraction by the National Tourism Administration in 2013. It is one of the important cultural tourist attractions in Hunan Province. 🚥[Transportation Guide] ⭐️Self-driving or chartered car is recommended for convenience. ⭐️Take the high-speed train to Loudi, turn right at the exit and wait for the bus from Loudi to Shuangfeng under the bridge. Take the bus from Shuangfeng West Station to Shuangfeng East Station for CNY 2, and from Shuangfeng East Station to Heye Town for CNY 16. Take a motorcycle to Zeng Guofan's Former Residence.

It takes about an hour to drive out of Shao Mountain and get on the highway. When I saw the sign on the highway that said "Zeng Guofan's Former Residence", I immediately thought of Zeng Guofan being from Hunan. My brother casually said to go and take a look. It took 20 minutes to get off the highway and arrive at a small mountain village. Nearby are the former residences of Zeng Guoquan, Qiu Jin, Tang Qunying, etc. There are many celebrities around, it is really a place where humanities gather. Zeng Guofan's former residence, Fuhou Hall, is Zeng Guofan's mansion, located in Futuo Village, Heye Town, in the eastern part of Shuangfeng County, Loudi City, Hunan Province. It covers a total area of more than 40,000 square meters, and the main building is nearly 10,000 square meters. It is a typical Ming and Qing Dynasty corridor-style building group along the central axis. The overall building is grand (large area) and simple (there is very little elaborate work in the building), which is consistent with the gentleman's ambition.