Changzhou Zhongshan Memorial Hall

Changzhou Zhongshan Memorial Hall

(Built in 1933) Constructed to commemorate Dr. Sun Yat-sen on the former site of the playhouse of the Changzhou Prefecture City God Temple, this Sino-Western style building was designed with reference to the sacrificial hall of the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum in Nanjing. It stands as a prime example of outstanding modern architecture in the Changzhou area. The completed Zhongshan Memorial Hall faces south, has a depth of 19.2 meters, and a height of 19.7 meters. It features a double-eaved hip-and-gable roof, with upturned eaves on the upper tier, raked flying rafters forming horn-like corners, the main ridge decorated with meander patterns, simple wooden bracket sets and latticework, and a gray-tiled exterior. The structure is enclosed by corridors on all sides, protected by railings, with domed square rooms at each corner. Its exterior adopts a palatial Chinese style while the interior follows a Roman architectural style, combining both cultural elements. The building covers a floor area of 324 square meters. During the War of Resistance against Japan, the puppet government of Wang Jingwei occupied the site for a long time, and the Kuomintang county party headquarters was also located in the Zhongshan Memorial Hall. After the victory of the war, the Wujin County government took over the building. Following the liberation of Changzhou in 1949, it successively housed the city’s military control commission and the Changzhou regional administrative office. It was later used as a staff canteen and also served as office space for various municipal departments including the Changzhou Municipal Bureau of Commerce, the Grain Bureau, and the Radio, Film and Television Bureau. On December 26, 1987, the Zhongshan Memorial Hall was designated as a municipal-level cultural relics protection unit by the Changzhou Municipal People’s Government. On December 19, 2011, it was further listed as a provincial-level cultural relics protection unit by the Jiangsu Provincial People’s Government.

Further Reading:

· Seventh Batch of Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units