Shanxi is calling you!

The Royal Residence of the Prime Minister.[Photo by Wang Zhuangfei/China Daily]

The Royal Residence of the Prime Minister is located in Jincheng, was the residence of the prominent Prime Minister Chen Jingting, the royal teacher of Emperor Kangxi in the latter part of the 17th century, the early Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

Chen was a noted statesman, writer, poet, philosopher and idealist. He famously served as the editor-in-chief of the Kangxi Zidian, or dictionary, published in 1716, the largest character reference ever compiled for traditional Chinese language.

The emperor gifted the castle at Jincheng to Chen as a way of showing appreciation to his teacher. The complex currently hosts a big number of Chen’s works, as well as examples of the emperor’s handwriting.