The Old Residence of Liu Shaoqi is located
in Tanzichong, Huaminglou Villiage, Ningxian County ,
Hunan Province.
Liu (1898-1969), former vice-chairman of the
Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, chairman of the People's
Republic of China and national defense minister, was a great Marxist and
outstanding proletarian. Born at the residence in
Ningxian County of Hunan Province on November 24, 1898, Liu spent his youth
there. In 1916, he left his hometown for Changsha City to study and partake in revolutionary
activities.
The construction of Liu's residence began
during the reign of Jiaqing of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), and faces west. It
is a quadrangle made of locally produced bricks, wood and straw, with grey tiles lining
the roof. The building has 20 rooms of various sizes and covers an area of 380
square meters. During the Great Culture Revolution, the residence was severely
damaged but, in 1980, it was entirely restored by the department of
responsibility. On November 24, 1988, the Huaming Balcony, located some 300
meters from the residence, was constructed as the Huaming Balcony Memorial Hall
to Liu Shaoqi.