Former Residence of Cai Hongsheng

Former Residence of Cai Hongsheng

The Former Residence of Cai Hongsheng is a protected cultural heritage site of Jiangsu Province.

The Cai Hongsheng Western-style House is located on Renmin Road in Dangkou, built approximately between 1931 and 1935. It was originally named “Cai Hongde Hall” and consists of two three-story buildings facing west from the east. The gatehouse has five bays and two stories, with the middle bay on the ground floor serving as the main entrance passage. Adjacent to the south side of the gatehouse stands a four-story water tower. The main building has an L-shaped layout, featuring three bays of three-story structures facing south, and five bays of two-story structures facing west (later expanded to three stories by Shanghai craftsmen in the early 1950s), all with three concrete steps at their entrances. The auxiliary building and staircase are situated in the northeast corner of the structure, consisting of four bays and three stories, connected to the main building. On the second floor of the easternmost section, there is another passage linking the west-facing main building and the auxiliary building. The southern part of the complex originally had a surrounding wall and a pond. The wall features a concrete relief sculpture of the deity Liu Hai scattering coins. The entire building is constructed entirely of concrete, with colored mosaic flooring, featuring exquisite structure and elaborate decorations, making it a fine example of Western-style architecture from the Republican era. The house is fully equipped with running water, electric lighting, cast iron drainage pipes, and more. During the Anti-Japanese War, a small Japanese troop was stationed here. After liberation, it served successively as the local township government office and a cultural center.

The Cai Hongsheng Western-style House is a Western-style building with exposed brick walls and colored mosaic flooring. Its ingenious structure and refined decorations make it a top-tier example of Western-style architecture from the Republican era. Cai Hongsheng was a native of Dongjie, Xicang, Dangkou, and a well-known figure in Shanghai during the Republican period. The hall was named “Cai Hongde Hall,” and the house was fully equipped with running water, electric lights, and more. Cai’s mother once held her funeral here. It was occupied by Japanese puppet troops during the Anti-Japanese War and later taken over by the local government after liberation.

On December 19, 2011, the People's Government of Jiangsu Province designated it as a provincial-level cultural heritage site in the seventh batch of such listings.

Ehu Town: Located in the southeastern part of Xishan District, Ehu Town consists of the Ganlu and Dangkou areas and is one of the city’s “6+1” town clusters. It borders Xiangcheng District of Suzhou to the east and Changshu City to the north. The town covers a total area of 54.7 square kilometers (with the town cluster planning area spanning 19.2 square kilometers), including 25,732 mu of arable land. It governs 3 neighborhood committees and 12 administrative villages, with a total population of 59,000, including 13,000 non-local residents.

Ehu Town enjoys the reputations of being a “water town in the south of the Yangtze River, a cultural ancient town, and an industrial hub.”

Water Town in the South of the Yangtze: Ehu... More details about Ehu Town++

Further Reading:

· Seventh Batch of Provincial Cultural Heritage Sites of Jiangsu Province