Guangzhou's Most Beautiful Century-Old Mansion Now Open!

Guangzhou's most beautiful century-old Western-style mansion is finally open for visits! ☀️ A great spot in Guangzhou for a solo stroll and relaxation Today, I visited Hoi Tong Monastery and accidentally discovered that the "Big Yellow Palace"—the Pan Family Mansion across the street—had its gates wide open! I quickly ran over to ask, and to my surprise, it is indeed open for public visits now!! I’ve been wanting to go inside ever since I first discovered it 10 years ago! Finally, the wait is over!!! - The Pan Family Mansion's style is very similar to the Western-style buildings on Shamian Island! The first impression upon entering is one of grandeur: a mahogany door inlaid with church-style stained glass featuring magnolia patterns that look stunning when backlit! Most of the floor tiles are well-preserved, showcasing the printed tiles popular in European architecture over a century ago. There are also teak staircases with dappled light and intricately carved mahogany fireplaces—fulfilling all my imaginations of a century-old Western-style mansion! - This Pan Family Mansion belonged to the Pan family, who were the leading merchants of the Thirteen Hongs. Pan Zhencheng was known as the world's richest man in the 18th century, and his fifth-generation descendant, Pan Peiru, was also the richest man in Guangdong at the time! Back then, Pan Peiru worked as the manager of the Yueyuan Electric Light Company (Wuxianmen Power Plant) across the Pearl River. To make commuting easier, he built this Western-style mansion between 1908 and 1909! This was also the first Western-style building in Haizhu District and one of the few well-preserved Pan family structures. It is now used as the Haizhu District Senior University. - ✅ Pan Family Mansion 📌 Navigate to Haizhu Senior University (231 Nanhua Middle Road) ⏰ Visiting hours: Saturdays, 9 AM–12 PM, 2 PM–5 PM 🎫 Reservation required!! 🚇 Take Metro Line 8 to Tongfuxi Station, Exit A - 🚶‍♀️ Walking route During the Qing Dynasty, the Pan family built a massive garden mansion in Nanhua West, turning the area into a wealthy district. Today, it still retains many exquisite arcade buildings and old houses, along with numerous time-honored eateries, making it perfect for a full day of city walking and exploration. 1️⃣ Pan Family Mansion 2️⃣ Hoi Tong Monastery: The only temple open to foreigners in Guangzhou during the Qing Dynasty. The stone lions at its entrance originally came from the Pan family ancestral hall. 3️⃣ Longxi Shouyue: The Pan family’s ancestral home was in Longxi Village, Fujian, so they named this area Longxi Village. Longxi Shouyue is the entrance. 4️⃣ Pan Family Ancestral Hall: Turn into a small path from the big banyan tree to find the boundary marker of Pan Nengjing Hall. The Pan Family Ancestral Hall is along this path, though most of the Pan family garden’s buildings have disappeared. 5️⃣ Huan Zhu Bridge: The only ancient bridge that retains its original shape. The small path under the bridge was once the Shuzhu Stream, now an underground waterway. 6️⃣ Pan Family Temple: The once-glorious Pan Family Temple has long since become an ordinary residential area. 7️⃣ Longdaowei Market: The area in Guangzhou with the most streets and alleys named with the character "Long" (dragon), offering plenty of local delicacies. 🍚 Nearby food recommendations ✅ Fei Jie Food: Affordable neighborhood-style eatery ✅ Golden Moon Food: Burgers and various fried snacks, a student favorite ✅ Hoi Tong Ruifang Restaurant: A no-signboard but always-busy beef brisket noodle shop ✅ Anle Stewed Soup: Generous portions of stewed soup ✅ Sen Kee Snack Shop: In my opinion, the best rice rolls on Tongfu Road