Former Residence of Cai Chengxun

Former Residence of Cai Chengxun

The Former Residence of Cai Chengxun is a cultural relic protection unit of Tianjin.

Former Residence of Cai Chengxun

Era: 1935

Address: No. 1 Dali Road, Heping District, Tianjin

Category: Important Modern Historical Site and Representative Building

Cai Chengxun, styled Huchen (1871–1946), was a native of Tianjin. He graduated early from the Tianjin Military Preparatory School and thereafter remained loyal to Feng Guozhang and Cao Kun, rising to become a core member of the Zhili clique of the Beiyang warlords. He once served as Minister of War in the Beiyang government, as well as Military Governor of Gansu and Jiangxi. In December 1924, he was ousted after his subordinates conspired to betray him. He first fled to Shanghai, then returned to Tianjin’s British Concession where he purchased land and built this residence along with an adjacent family temple, living out his days as a retired statesman.

The building is a three-story brick-and-wood structure in a Sino-Western fusion style. It faces Xinhua Road to the east, Munan Road to the south, Hebei Road to the west, and borders Dali Road to the north. The structure features reinforced concrete and three floors in a Western-style mansion design, covering a construction area of 2,100 square meters. It is built with brick and wood, with an exterior of blue brick walls. The top floor has a flat roof in the center and sloped roofs on both sides. The third floor includes a platform with overhanging eaves. The style is solemn and classic, while the interior is luxuriously decorated, featuring finely crafted traditional Chinese hardwood lattice screen doors that reach the floor.

Further Reading:

· Fourth Batch of Cultural Relic Protection Units in Tianjin