Khanate Prince Mansion
2 min readKhanate Prince Mansion, commonly known as “Prince Platform”and located near the west door in the north of Hami Huicheng, was early built during Ming Yongle Period (AD 1403-1424) as the Mongolia Prince Mansion at that time. Ebei Dula, the earliest ancestor of Hami Khanate Prince, was rewarded by Kangxi Emperor after assisting the Qing Government in putting down the Galdan Rebellion in 1697. Kangxi Emperor invited some Chinese craftsmen from the mainland to build the Khanate Prince Mansion, which was completed in the 45th year of Qing Kangxi(AD 1706). After expansions by several generations, the Khanate Prince Mansion was built as a grand Mansion blending the architectural arts of the Central Plains and Islam by Bxoer Khanate Prince VIl, but in the 6th year of Tongzhi(AD 1867), most of the mansion was destroyed due to the attacks by Hami Rebels. In the sth year of Guangxu(1882), the Khanate Prince Mansion was restored and expanded afterShamu Husuote Khanate Prince IX inherited the throne. The mansion covered an area of hundred acres as well as the large garden and lotus pond with more than 800 houses. The whole mansion, blending various architectural styles such as the Han, Uyghur, Manchu and Mongolian with many doors, garden pavilions, red columns, overhanging eaves as well as the exotic flowers and rare grasses and the fruit trees shadowing everywhere, was the perfect embodying and harmonious unity of national multi-culture. Unfortunately, the mansion was destroyed completely by the revolt of local farmers in 1931 with no ruins left.
In 2003, Hami Municipal People’s Government decided to rebuild the Khanate Prince Mansion, which was strongly supported by the Guangdong Provincial Party Committee and government with free assistance of RMB 10 million. The restored mansion, covering an area of about 13 hectares, was built completely according to the original construction with tourism service facilities inside such as palace cabaret hall, palace banquet hall, Silk Road Museum, Hami Historical Museum and shops of crafts and souvenir and external decorated with loess to maintain the original style of ancient buildings. All the buildings of prince platform remain unchanged and the barracks, gardens, mosques, reception hall, stables and other facilities are designed basically according to the original style and scale. Khanate Prince Mansion is a permanent symbol of the national great unity and integration, whose restoration and reconstruction have realistic meanings in promoting national culture and continuing the essence of national historical culture enduringly.The reconstructed Khanate Prince Mansion will become a beautiful tourism card for Hami City again, which will allow you to experience the elegance of the old royal noble and the features of the mansion.
