JANVI TOURS

Have you heard about that about 150 years ago, a world-shocking uprising broke out in China? This uprising was the Peaceful Heaven Kingdom Uprising and the leader of the uprising was Hong Xiuquan. You can learn something about this famous historical figure from this memorial museum.

The Former Residence of Hong Xiuquan, one of the national privileged heritage units, is situated in Guanlu village, Xinhua Town in Huadu District. It has been renovated and opened to visitors in 1962. The Former Residence of Hong Xiuquan was established in 1991, the 140th anniversary of the Peaceful Heaven Kingdom Uprising. The memorial museum is a three-storeyed imitation of an ancient building. It exhibits the history of the Peaceful Heaven Kingdom Uprising led by Hong, allowing people to find out about that period of history and the life of Hong Xiuquan.

It is said that Hong Xiuquan started studying in the Book Chamber Building at the age of seven. He was able to recite the Four Classics after five or six years. Then he took the first-degree civil service examinations in Guangzhou in 1836 at the age of 22 but failed. He tried again two or three times but never succeeded.

One night in 1837, he dreamed of a man in a black dragon cloak telling him to purify the land from evil. In Guangzhou, after his second attempt at the exam, he had received a copy of the booklet The Benolevent Words to Advise the World. After reading the booklet, he came to believe that the man in black in his dream was God and that he was the younger son of God, the brother of Jesus. He was on earth with a mission to found a new kingdom.

These references to God provided the legitimacy for his idea to found the Heavenly Kingdom of Taiping. First, he burned all Confucian and Buddhist statues and books in his house. This was considered sacrilegious, so he was attacked by believers of Confucian. In 1844, he fled to Guangxi, wherewith Feng Yunshan, he began a new sect called the God Worshippers. He preached a mix of communal utopianism and Christianity. He preached to a large number of Hakka coal miners on Zijin Mountain in Guiping District, many of whom became members of this sect.

In 1851, he established the Heavenly Kingdom of Taiping and dictated several reforms that would have improved the sect members' lives, but they were implemented harshly and ineffectively. In 1864, the Qing government launched an attack on them with the advantage of having many more soldiers, bringing the uprising to an end. All hope of maintaining his kingdom being lost, he committed suicide by taking poison on 1st June, at the age of 52.

Tourist Information of the Former Residence of Hong Xiuquan

⌚ 09:00 ~ 17:00, Close on Monday;
¥Free admission;
✉ Guan Lu Bu, Da Bu Village, Xiuquan Street, Huadu District. (广州市花都区秀全大街官禄布村);

How to get there

1. Metro Line 9 Huadu Motor City station Exit D, then walk 400 meters to Zhucun bus station, take bus No.21 and get off at bus terminal;
2. Metro Line 9 Huadu Motor City station Exit D, then taxi cost arouns CNY￥20;