Exhibition on daily life at the Kong Family Mansion opens at Ledao Hall

On May 20, Prince Kung's Palace Museum unveiled Ritual Integrity and Poetic Refinement: The Daily Life in the Official Residence of the Confucius Family, a special exhibition co-organized with the Confucius Museum.

Held at the Ledao Hall, the exhibition explores the refined daily life at the Kong Family Mansion where the Dukes Yansheng – the hereditary descendants of Confucius – lived. On display are 99 artifacts dating to the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911) from the collection of the Confucius Museum.

Divided into four thematic sections – ritual, daily life, studying and banqueting – the exhibition offers an immersive view into the Kong family's unique living values "ritual integrity and poetic refinement".

Highlights include a majestic set of five cloisonné enamel ritual vessels with beast mask motifs from the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), an awe-inspiring Qing Dynasty cloisonné enamel crane-footed incense burner, a rare Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) Yongle reign (1403-24) blue-and-white bowl with alfalfa motifs believed to be an imperial gift, and two splendid Ming garments. Also on display are five uniquely shaped tin warming dishes used during winter banquets, modeled after ancient bronze forms or shaped like peach, duck and fish.

Nearly twenty artifacts are on public view for the first time, such as a bamboo root carving of immortals offering birthday felicitations, a Qing carved lidded box containing incense, theatrical scripts, manuscripts of opera librettos, household ledgers, and birthday records — offering a rare glimpse into the elegant daily rhythms at the Kong Family Mansion.

Historical paintings of the Dukes Yansheng at leisure are featured throughout the exhibition space, vividly reviving their domestic life scenes. The venue, Ledao Hall, adds further historical resonance — it once served as the residence of Princess Hexiao, daughter of Emperor Qianlong (r. 1736-95), and later of Prince Kung Yixin, son of Emperor Daoguang (r. 1821-50).

The exhibition runs through Aug 10 (closed Mondays).