Rongguo Mansion

Rongguo Mansion is a large film-set heritage complex in the old city of Zhengding County, about 20 km north of Shijiazhuang in Hebei Province, close to Longxing Temple. It was built in the 1980s as the principal location for the 1987 Chinese television adaptation of the classic novel Dream of the Red Chamber, and the compound reproduces the grand residence of the Jia family in the story. Visitors walk through a sequence of gate halls, courtyards, ornamental gardens, pavilions and bedrooms furnished in Qing-dynasty style, with costumed figures and exhibits that recall scenes from the novel. The architecture mixes traditional timber frames, painted beams, carved screens and glazed roofs, and the layout follows the formal axial plan of an aristocratic mansion. A typical visit lasts one and a half to two hours, and fans of the novel or the series will find the most to recognise. The most photogenic areas are the main gate with its lanterns, the garden pond with bridges and pavilions, and the upper galleries overlooking the courtyards. The complex stays open until 9:00 PM, and visiting in the evening, when lanterns and building lights are on, gives the best atmosphere and cooler temperatures in summer. Crowds are heaviest on weekends and holidays, when tour groups arrive in the afternoon, while weekday mornings are quiet. Admission is CNY 40, and the phone number for enquiries is +86 311 8878 6107. The site can be reached by the same intercity bus or DiDi routes used for Longxing Temple, and the old-city location makes it an easy walk from other Zhengding sights.