The Zheng Family Mansion in Macau: A Fusion of Chinese and Western Styles

The area in front of the A-Ma Well is known for its Portuguese flair, but less than 10 meters away lies Macau's largest existing traditional residence—the Zheng Family Mansion. The Zheng Family Mansion was the home of the renowned patriotic industrialist Zheng Guanying. It was built in the latter half of the 19th century and has a history of one and a half centuries. The mansion occupies a spacious area and features ingenious design. It is a grand Lingnan-style house that combines Chinese and Western elements, representing the pinnacle of traditional Macanese residential architecture in the 19th century, and thus it has become an important part of the Historic Centre of Macau, a World Cultural Heritage site. The Zheng Family Mansion is the only residence in Macau that holds the title of 'Rong Lu', signifying its distinguished status. The entrance on the main street is surprisingly understated, resembling a small door casually made in a wall. The winding path to the entrance leads to a small yet exquisite courtyard, hinting at the extraordinary nature of the home. Upon entering the main courtyard, one is greeted with a sense of openness. The main courtyard is nearly a hundred meters long. Walking from the A-Ma Temple, the narrow roads and cramped houses of the Historic Centre of Macau are the norm, so the sudden appearance of such a spacious courtyard is truly astonishing. The various buildings of the mansion line up alongside the courtyard, with their carved beams and painted rafters on the main wall resembling a hundred-meter-long scroll, grand and imposing. The mansion consists of several sets of houses, similar to today's terraced villas. Each set is independent yet organically integrated into the whole mansion, subtly reflecting the traditional Chinese concept of harmony between the individual and the collective. The central house is called Yu Qing Tang, the most exquisite and luxurious of all, serving as the main house of the entire mansion. The overall architecture adopts the traditional structure of Lingnan residential buildings, but the local decorations, such as the window lattices, feature a Southeast Asian style. In this hall, one can find elements of architectural styles from various places, truly making it a fusion of Chinese and Western art. The buildings of the mansion are interconnected on the second floor, and there is a square inner courtyard on the north side. The buildings surrounding this courtyard each feature a different architectural style. The mix of four different styles promotes harmony and unity, making it one of my favorite parts of the entire mansion. The Zheng Family Mansion has withstood the test of time. Once the home of a prominent family, it now stands as a model of 19th-century Macanese residential architecture that combines Chinese and Western styles. It is a must-visit attraction in the Historic Centre of Macau, with free admission and a visit typically lasting about an hour.