The Tianshi Mansion (天师府) in the village of Shangqing was the ancestral home of the Zhang family Celestial Masters, the hereditary leaders of Zhengyi Taoism for over 1,800 years. The compound was rebuilt repeatedly over the centuries following fires and political disruptions, and the current buildings are largely Qing-dynasty constructions on much older foundations. The layout follows Chinese palace architecture conventions — formal outer halls for ceremonies, inner courtyards for family residence, a garden at the rear.
The mansion is now a functioning religious site as well as a museum, and Taoist ceremonies take place in the main halls on regular schedules. The interior woodwork is particularly fine; the carved screen behind the main altar is one of the best examples of Qing-dynasty decorative woodcarving in Jiangxi. The surrounding Shangqing village has its own atmospheric streets of old brick buildings and stone pavement.