Former Residence of Zhang Dalie

Former Residence of Zhang Dalie

The former residence of Zhang Dalie is a cultural tourism attraction.

Zhang Dalie, also known as Zhang Chengjiang, was born in 1911 into a prominent family in Changjing Town. After finishing junior high school, he was admitted to the Western Painting Department of Shanghai Art School. In 1929, he went to France for further studies. He enrolled at the National School of Fine Arts in Paris to study sculpture. In 1931, inspired by revolutionary activist He Xiangning who was living in France, Zhang became concerned about the fate of his homeland. Before returning to China, He Xiangning personally painted a picture of plum blossoms and one of a tiger as gifts for him. In October 1936, after completing his studies, Zhang returned to Changjing via the Soviet Union together with his wife, Szelena (a Polish national), and dedicated himself to the educational cause of his hometown. In the winter of 1937, when Jiangyin fell, the campus buildings of Changjing Junior High School were destroyed. Zhang sold part of his land holdings to fund the urgent repairs of the school buildings, enabling classes to resume. In 1939, he became the principal of Changjing Middle School. The puppet regime tried to tempt him into offering Japanese language classes by offering education subsidies, but he refused. In June 1940, Tan Zhenlin, commander of the East Route Headquarters of the “Jiangnan Anti-Japanese Forces,” led troops to establish the anti-Japanese base in the region of Cheng-Xi-Yu, and invited Zhang to contribute to the resistance efforts. Zhang pledged to go through fire and water for the cause, and on multiple occasions criticized the stubborn faction—those passive in resisting Japan and keen on creating friction—during speeches at middle and primary schools and among the public. This incurred the hatred of Bao Hansheng, the special envoy of the “Loyal Salvation Army” in Cheng-Xi-Yu. On the evening of August 30, he was shot dead by an assassin sent by Bao at the Longyuan Teahouse in Changjing Town. Tan Zhenlin held a grand memorial service for him.

Former Residence of Zhang Dalie

Located on Nanxiangmen Lane along the south bank of the Jing River in Changjing Town, there is a cluster of residential buildings that feature the architectural characteristics of the Jiangnan water towns during the Ming and Qing dynasties. This is the former residence of the prestigious Zhang family of Changjing, commonly referred to by locals as the “Yellow Stone Walls.”

The residence was first built in the late Xianfeng era of the Qing Dynasty (1860). The existing building complex covers a total area of 2,128 square meters, including 1,176 square meters of hall space and 951 square meters of courtyard area. The residence faces east and consists of three parts: the main hall, and the north and south wing rooms. The main hall is arranged along a central axis with five courtyards and four enclosed spaces. It features stone-framed doors with black-painted doors studded with copper nails, opening to the east. The first four sections of the hall consist of five-bay, seven-step, seven-rafter structures, while the last section is a six-bay, six-step, three-linked-hall structure. In the third and fourth courtyards, there are four small side rooms facing each other from north to south. Surrounding the main house are 5-meter-high firewalls, the lower parts of which are built with yellow stones. Along the top of the walls, every 8.5 meters, there is a section of horse-head wall that is 2.5 meters wide and 1 meter high, standing tall above the wall like battlements. The ridges of the walls and horse-head walls have upturned ends decorated with cloud and scroll patterns, while the horse-head walls also feature bas-reliefs of interlocking vines and scroll motifs. There are side gates on the east and west sides of the walls, connecting to the north and south wing rooms. The main hall served as an important place for the daily life, activities, and gatherings of the Zhang family members.

The north wing rooms currently consist of two courtyards with two sections each, all being three-bay structures. These served as the ancestral shrine where the Zhang family honored their ancestors and conducted worship ceremonies. The south wing rooms are arranged around a large courtyard. On the east side of the garden are three main rooms, opposite to five main rooms at the bottom of the garden. To the south, facing the courtyard, is a long row of eight auxiliary rooms, all six bays and six steps deep. This area was mainly used as workspace and living quarters for the Zhang family servants, as well as storage for miscellaneous items. The courtyard has a small gate on the east side leading to the street, and a side door in the southwest corner connecting to a zigzag-shaped backyard behind the residence. The backyard is shaded by green trees, with winding paths offering a uniquely serene landscape. In total, the residence now has 47 rooms, 4 side rooms, and 8 courtyards of various sizes.

All the main rooms are wider in the center and narrower on the sides, constructed in odd numbers. For three-bay layouts, it’s one wide bay and two narrow ones; for five-bay layouts, it’s three wide and two narrow. The columns are made of solid wood, and the inner rooms all have single-layered walls made of small blue bricks, coated with white lime. The ridges are covered with black roof tiles, while the roofs are paved with blue tiles densely laid like fish scales, with drip tiles to channel water. All beams are made of solid wood, and beneath the rear hall beams of the main room are auxiliary beams carved with dragon and cloud patterns, either in relief or openwork, exuding an elegant and classic charm. The roofs are fitted with wooden rafters and covered with bamboo splint boards, featuring a bluish-gray base color with white lines, giving a fresh and striking contrast. The entire building complex avoids the use of any colored paintings, fully embodying the architectural characteristics of traditional Ming and Qing Jiangnan residences: “blue bricks, small tiles, horse-head walls, and lattice windows adorned with hanging ornaments.”

All the houses are single-story buildings, with no multi-story structures mixed in. They are lit by rows of windows, with doors and windows always in even numbers and positioned symmetrically. The main rooms feature six-panel wooden lattice floor-length windows as the inner entrance doors, with six half-wall wooden lattice windows on the west side of each, ensuring bright interiors. Each room also has a back door connecting the front and rear courtyards. The floors are paved with polished square bricks. The courtyards are paved with small blue bricks. The gardens are decorated with flowers, plants, and trees, with lush camphor trees providing shade, bright blooms, and occasional faint fragrances, creating a serene and elegant atmosphere. The entire residence embodies a warm, peaceful, tranquil, and refined artistic ambiance of a water town dwelling—“pleasing to the eye.” It is like a subtle ink painting of the Jiangnan landscape, or a three-dimensional poem.

The Zhang family, known for its scholarly background, has always valued education, patriotism, and service to the people. In modern times, the family has produced many notable figures renowned far and wide: the famous anti-Japanese martyr Zhang Dalie; his Polish wife Szelena, who devoted her life to loving China; Shangguan Yunzhu, a renowned movie star and celebrated film actress of New China; Zhang Dayu, a famous Chinese chemist and one of the founders of catalysis science, who was also an academician—his son Zhang Baozhong, a chemistry professor at the University of Science and Technology of China and recipient of the State Council Special Allowance; Zhang Dajiong, a patriotic educator and one of the founders of the former Factory Economic Junior High School; and many more. As for the contemporary descendants of the Zhang family, they are spread across the country, each excelling in various fields—too numerous to list.

After the liberation, the residence was used by the grain department. In September 1992, it was approved by the Jiangyin Municipal People's Government as a Cultural Relics Protection Unit in the fifth batch of municipal listings. In 2001, the property rights were transferred to the town government. In 2002, it was designated as the “Jiangyin Patriotic Education Base” and the “Jiangyin Youth Patriotic Education Base.” In September 2006, the restoration of the residence began, and it was completed and reopened in April 2007 under the name “Former Residence of Zhang Dalie.” The residence displays historical photos and materials of four notable members of the Zhang family, introducing their life stories for visitors to view, remember, and learn from.

Changjing Town: Known historically as Dongshuncheng, Changjing is an ancient town in the Jiangnan region with a long history, abundant talent, rich culture, and is one of the birthplaces of Wu culture. Research shows it has a history of over 7,000 years, 5,000 years of civilization, and 2,500 years of recorded history. The town covers an area of 54 square kilometers, with a registered population of 56,000, and includes 12 administrative villages and one community residents' committee.

Changjing Town is under the jurisdiction of Jiangyin City, Jiangsu Province, located at the geometric center of the Suzhou-Wuxi-Changzhou economic zone in the Yangtze River Delta. It borders the Yangtze River to the north and Taihu Lake to the south, enjoying a very advantageous geographical position. The town experiences distinct seasons... More detailed information about Changjing Town++