The Unique Charm of Western-Style Buildings

The Unique Charm of Western-Style Buildings

In the suburbs of Beijing, aside from a few foreign embassies, train stations, and banks dating back to the Qing Dynasty, only Tongzhou City has several Western-style buildings. These structures are preserved in schools such as Luhe Middle School, Beijing Nursing School, and Tongzhou No. 2 Middle School. With their spacious layouts, lush gardens, and architectural styles reminiscent of Western Europe and North America, they also serve as monuments to national humiliation.

In the sixth year of the Tongzhi reign (1867), American Protestant missionaries began spreading Christianity in Tongzhou. They successively built Western-style buildings such as schools, hospitals, churches, and residences. Some American missionaries abused their religious status to bully locals, while certain local tyrants and degenerate gentry joined the church to exploit their influence over common people. Local officials sided with the missionaries and oppressed citizens, sparking widespread resentment among the populace. In the spring and summer of 1900, inspired by uprisings in Shandong and Hebei, residents across Tongzhou organized the Boxers and the Red Lanterns, declaring, "Even if the emperor submits to foreigners, we won’t rest until every foreigner is killed." They burned churches, killed foreigners, executed Chinese converts, and even volunteered to fight the Eight-Nation Alliance in Tianjin. Eventually, the Boxers were suppressed through a joint effort by foreign troops and Qing soldiers. The missionaries returned to Tongzhou, forcing the payment of 160,000 taels of silver in compensation. To the west of the new city’s south gate, they seized land from three villages and constructed schools, hospitals, and other facilities. Work began in 1901 and was completed within three years.

Luhe Middle School houses buildings such as the Wells Memorial Hall (People's Building) and the Sheffield Memorial Hall (Red Building), all of which feature brick-and-wood structures with roofs styled like ancient Western castles. These designs incorporate elements of Chinese city walls, such as crenellated parapets, and are adorned with closely spaced small rounded arches along the eaves. The corners of the buildings are topped with inverted cone-like pinnacles resembling crosses with statues of goddesses—unique and charming features. The other two schools contain several missionary residences with irregularly shaped, multi-angular floor plans, uneven rooflines, and varying ridge directions. Their interiors are fully functional, showcasing a distinct foreign architectural essence.