Former Site of the Wujin Hospital Ward Building

Former Site of the Wujin Hospital Ward Building

The former site of the Wujin Hospital Ward Building is a cultural relic protection unit of Jiangsu Province.

The former site of the Wujin Hospital Ward Building is located within the First People's Hospital of Changzhou. Originally serving as the outpatient building of a mission hospital, it was built on July 1, 1933, to mark the 15th anniversary of Wujin Hospital. A foundation-laying ceremony was held at the start of the ward building’s construction, and the foundation stone monument remains today. The existing structure consists of a single-section building that faces south and has a concave shape, spanning five bays in width. The central section has four floors, while the side wings on the east and west each have three floors. It is constructed with reinforced concrete and remains well-preserved. The entire building blends Chinese and Western architectural styles, featuring an elegant and graceful design. It is the earliest surviving modern hospital architecture in Changzhou and serves as a landmark structure of the hospital.

Wujin Hospital was the predecessor of the First People's Hospital of Changzhou. In 1918, after discussions between local civic groups, gentry, merchants, and the Church of Christ in China, it was decided to establish a permanent hospital. The church then dispatched Dr. Rui Zhenru, missionary Schmidt, and Mr. Duan Chanxin to Changzhou to plan the establishment of Wujin Hospital. Dr. Rui served as both the hospital director and physician, and the initial site was located to the east of the Yanghu County Yamen at Mashibu. In 1925, the entire former site of the Yanghu County Yamen was taken over by the hospital, with the main entrance situated at Mashibu. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, Wujin Hospital was renamed the First People's Hospital of Changzhou.

The former site of the Wujin Hospital Ward Building was designated as a municipal-level cultural relic protection unit by the Changzhou Municipal People's Government on February 26, 2008. In December 2011, it was further listed as part of the seventh batch of provincial-level cultural relic protection units by the Jiangsu Provincial People's Government.

Further Reading:

· Seventh Batch of Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Units