The former residence of Prince Shi (Li Shixian) of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom is ready to open to the public on May 18, 2015 after a three-year renovation in Jinhua city, East China’s Zhejiang province. Li (1834-1865) was an important leader in the late period of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. The residence was set up where the prefecture seat of the Tang (618-907) and Song (960-1279) dynasties, the Eastern Zhejiang Government of the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) and the Zhu Yuanzhang government in early years of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) were previously located. The large residence is divided into three parts: the palace, the dwelling and the garden, housing engraved stone and brick sculptures of dragons and phoenixes. The residence, a cultural relic site under state protection, is the largest and well-preserved architectural site of the kingdom. (Photo: China News Service/Xi Jinyan)
