Yuan Yigong Palace

📍 Address: No. 164, Kangping Avenue
📅 Opening Hours: 08:30 – 17:30 daily (closed on Mondays, except public holidays)
🎫 Admission: Free entry (advance reservation required)

🏺 Historical Evolution

Built during the Zhìyuán period of the Yuan Dynasty (1270 CE), Yuan Yigong Palace originally served as a crucial relay station along the imperial postal route from Dadu to the Mongolian Plateau. As one of the "Nine Relay Stations," it was a key node in the Yuan Dynasty’s official courier system. The name “Yuan Yigong” derives from the Yuan-era postal system, while “Palace” reflects its high architectural status, combining administrative and reception functions. Although the relay system evolved during the Ming and Qing dynasties, the site retained certain official post functions before gradually transforming into a gathering place for local literati.

🏛️ Architectural Features

The surviving main structures date back to Qing Dynasty renovations, following traditional northern Chinese official architectural layout with a south-facing orientation and a complete three-court design. The central hall features a single-eaved hip roof covered with glazed tiles, adorned with intricate painted beams featuring "He Xi" patterns—indicative of imperial-level construction standards. The courtyard houses a pair of stone lions and two ancient ginkgo trees (over 400 years old), evoking a profound sense of antiquity. On the eastern side stands a corridor displaying over ten inscribed steles, including documents and imperial edicts from the Yuan Dynasty to the late Qing, offering significant historical value.

📜 Cultural Relics Collection

The museum currently houses:

• A bronze plaque inscribed with Yuan Dynasty horse seals (National Grade II cultural relic)
• A Ming Dynasty copy of the Great Ming Postal Route Map
• Original Qing Dynasty "Imperial Order Pass for Official Couriers"
• Multiple fragments of postal transmission documents from the relay network (including bilingual texts in Mongolian and Chinese)

These artifacts collectively illustrate the operational mechanisms of ancient China’s transportation networks and the history of interethnic exchange.

🌟 Cultural Significance

Yuan Yigong Palace stands as a tangible testament to China’s ancient relay system and is a vital site for studying politics, military affairs, transportation, and frontier governance across the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties. Its architectural form, engraved records, and historical development constitute a living chronicle of China’s transportation history. Designated a National Key Cultural Heritage Site in 2013.

🚶 Travel Tips

• Recommended visit duration: 1.5 hours
• Audio guides available (bilingual Chinese-English)
• Nearby attractions: Kangping Ancient Street, Qingyang Academy
• Nearby dining recommendation: Yixiang Zhai · Yuan Yun Dining Hall (specializing in traditional relay route cuisine)

🌿 Every brick and tile bears history; every pavilion and pillar echoes centuries of change. Visit Yuan Yigong Palace and feel the pulse of a thousand-year-old postal road.