The Bai Chongxi Mansion in Nanjing

The Bai Chongxi Mansion in Nanjing

The Bai Chongxi Mansion in Nanjing was originally the property of a wealthy merchant. Located at No. 1 Yongyuan, it covers an area of 388.9 square meters and consists of three buildings with a total of 16 rooms, with a built-up area of 266.3 square meters.

Bai Chongxi (1893–1966), courtesy name Jiansheng, was a Hui ethnic from Lingui, Guangxi. He was a First-Class General of the Army. He graduated from the Baoding Military Academy. In 1924, he served as Chief of Staff of the Seventh Army of the National Revolutionary Army. After the establishment of the Nationalist Government, he held various positions including Standing Committee Member of the Military Commission, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Fourth Group Army, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Military Commission, Minister of Military Training, Minister of - , Director of the Strategic Advisory Commission, and concurrently Commander of the Central China “Suppression Headquarters.” He went to Taiwan in 1949.

In the 1940s, Bai Chongxi had the property rented through an intermediary and made some minor renovations, turning it into his primary residence and activity base in Nanjing. In 1948, when Li Zongren ran for the vice presidency, this place became the de facto decision-making center for the campaign.

The mansion is surrounded by a 2.6-meter-high wall. Inside the courtyard are two red-brick Western-style buildings facing each other, along with other structures such as a gatehouse and a garage. In the spring of 1989, Bai Chongxi’s son, the renowned Taiwanese writer Bai Xianyong, visited Nanjing and retraced his steps to the Bai Mansion where he, his parents, and siblings once lived. Reflecting on his childhood spent there, he was filled with deep emotion.