Zhang Qun’s Former Residence

Zhang Qun’s Former Residence

Zhang Qun’s Former Residence is located at No. 74 Shaoxing Road and currently houses the Shanghai Literature and Art Publishing House. The original owner was Zhang Qun. In 1929, he served as the third mayor of Shanghai under the Nationalist Government.

The residence was built in 1947, featuring a reinforced concrete structure with three floors above ground and a total floor area of 937 square meters. It is a modern-style garden residence. In 1999, it was listed as one of Shanghai’s outstanding modern buildings.

The building features an asymmetrical façade with terraced setbacks, and some walls have curved surfaces. It includes horizontal band windows and corner windows. The main façade faces south, with brown glazed bricks on the exterior walls and horizontal decorative lines. The central part of the building’s façade is highlighted by a protruding curved inner balcony. The railing of the western balcony is made of bricks, matching the color of the façade, while the eastern balcony is enclosed by ornate cast iron railings. The overall architectural form is dynamic and varied, appearing light, fluid, simple, and full of movement.

Stepping up the steps into the porch, you’ll find a terrazzo floor and a ceiling supported by a single column — a design that is clean and minimalist. Entering from the porch into the living room, you’ll notice a suite of rooms to the east, finely decorated and separated by copper sliding doors, with a small suite also facing south. The iron grille on the west window of the living room features two phoenixes facing each other — a vivid and amusing design that brings a sense of joy and good fortune to visitors. The north door of the living room leads to the stairwell, where your eyes will immediately be drawn to a large rectangular stained-glass window divided into three sections that reach up to the ceiling. The window depicts natural elements such as flowers and trees. The spiral copper handrail at the stairwell entrance is also remarkable, resembling a delicate piece of craftsmanship. While admiring these details, one can’t help but marvel at the refined decorative arts of the modern architectural style.

Zhang Qun (May 9, 1889 – December 14, 1990), courtesy name Yuejun, was a native of Huayang County, Sichuan Province (now part of Tianfu New Area), and a founding member of the Kuomintang. He studied at the Baoding Military Preparatory School in his early years and went to Japan in 1908 to attend the Shimbu Gakko military academy, where he was a classmate of Chiang Kai-shek. He later participated in the Xinhai Revolution, the Second Revolution, and the 0 Movement, among others. Starting in 1927, he held various positions including Director of the Nationalist Government’s Ordnance Bureau, Mayor of Shanghai, Chairman of Hubei Province, and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Nationalist Government (December 1935 – March 1937). He subsequently served as Secretary-General of the Central Political Council of the Kuomintang, and as an executive… More details about Zhang Qun ++