Located on the southeastern side of the city, this Jinsong neighbourhood site is to be found far from the hustle and bustle of central Beijing. However, amid the old-school residential area of Panjiayuan Dongli, curious wanderers will discover a prince – or, more precisely, the tomb of Prince Yanhuang.
The history books say that the forgotten prince (born 1691) gained his title from Emperor Yongzheng aged just 11. In 1730, he was appointed by the emperor to manage Yonghegong Lama Temple, a great honour at the time. However, five years later, his benefactor, the old emperor, died and things took a turn for the worse for the prince.
When Emperor Qianlong came to power, Yanhuang fell from favour, lost his position and was stripped of his title. He worked as the principal of a private school for noble children to earn his way, and he remained there until his death at the age of 81. Consequently, while a prince would normally be buried within the Second Ring Road, Yanhuang found himself interred out in Jinsong.
The tomb resembles a bungalow-style house with a glazed tile roof. In 1929, it was raided by soldiers of the Nationalist army and looted of anything valuable. Directly following the end of the Second World War, it was converted into a primary school, only to be abandoned 20 years later, in 1965. Since then, it has fallen into disrepair; however, the government recently began a restoration of the site. Wang Ge