Former Residence of Sheng Xuanhuai in Changzhou

Former Residence of Sheng Xuanhuai in Changzhou

The Former Residence of Sheng Xuanhuai in Changzhou is a Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Heritage Site.

Located at No. 18, Dama Yuan Lane. Sheng Xuanhuai, courtesy name Xingsun, was one of the representatives of the Westernization Movement in the late Qing Dynasty and a pioneer and practitioner of modern Chinese industry and commerce. The residence is a municipal cultural heritage site. Upon arriving at the east entrance of Xiaoshiqiao Hutong on the Old Drum Tower Street, one can see a resplendent memorial archway standing prominently at the entrance of the hutong, but the plaque’s inscription “Sheng Garden” has been changed to “Bamboo Garden.” The stone tablet originally engraved with “Sheng Garden is located at No. 24, Xiaoshiqiao Hutong, the late Qing Dynasty residence of Sheng Xuanhuai, Minister of Posts and Communications,” has also been removed. It was originally the private residence of Sheng Xuanhuai, the Minister of Posts and Communications in the late Qing Dynasty, and later served as the garden of the powerful eunuch Li Lianying. It is a traditional Chinese-style garden complex.

Sheng Xuanhuai (1844–1916), courtesy name Xingsun, also known as Yuzhai, was a native of Wujin, Jiangsu. He entered the service of Li Hongzhang in 1870. After participating in the establishment of China’s first major civilian shipping enterprise, the China Merchants Steam Navigation Company, he went on to oversee the founding of multiple enterprises and schools. Through his involvement in major Westernization projects, he became the wealthiest man in the country. It was estimated that his fortune amounted to 20 million taels of silver. He gradually rose to high government positions, serving successively as the Commissioner of Tianjin Customs, Joint Commissioner of Commerce, and Minister of Posts and Communications. However, due to his high-ranking official status, his social activities were constrained internally by the Qing court and externally by foreign powers. The semi-feudal and semi-colonial social environment imbued him with multiple historical complexities. He was the first to propose the “Southeast Mutual Protection” pact, aiming to stabilize the Yangtze River region from the influence of the Boxer Rebellion. He also sparked the Sichuan Railway Protection Movement by advocating for the nationalization of railways, which became a catalyst for the Xinhai Revolution, leading to his dismissal by the Qing court with the penalty of “never to be employed again.” He went into exile in Japan and later passed away in Shanghai.

On June 5, 2006, the Former Residence of Sheng Xuanhuai was designated as part of the sixth batch of Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Heritage Sites.

Sheng Xuanhuai (1844–1916), courtesy name Xingsun, also known as Youxu, Xingsheng, and Xingsheng; literary names Ciyi and Building, also used the alias Yuzhai, and in his later years called himself Zhisi. A native of Wujin, Jiangsu, he was born into a bureaucratic landlord family. In the ninth year of the Tongzhi reign of the Qing Dynasty (1870), he entered the service of Li Hongzhang. He held positions such as Director of the China Merchants Steam Navigation Company, General Manager of the Chinese Telegraph Administration, Director of the Huasheng Textile Mill, and Director of the Imperial Chinese Railway Company, and he founded the Bank of Communications. He reached the rank of Minister of Posts and Communications, with the first-rank official title. Shanghai was the hub of his activities. In his Westernization efforts, he deeply recognized the importance of foreign language proficiency and technical knowledge, and advocated for “self-strengthening...” More details about Sheng Xuanhuai ++

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Heritage Sites