Former Residence of Chen Guangyuan

Former Residence of Chen Guangyuan

The Former Residence of Chen Guangyuan is a protected cultural heritage site of Tianjin.

Former Residence of Chen Guangyuan

Era: 1931

Address: No. 48, Dali Road, Heping District, Tianjin

Category: Important Modern Historical Site and Representative Architecture

Chen Guangyuan graduated early from the Tianjin Military Preparatory School and later followed Yuan Shikai and Feng Guozhang, becoming a key figure among the Zhili clique of the Beiyang warlords. He served as the Military Governor of Jiangxi for many years. In 1922, he was defeated by the Northern Expeditionary Army from Guangdong and removed from office. He then moved into a villa in the former British Concession of Tianjin (now located on Yantai Road) with nearly ten million yuan in assets. Later, he invested heavily to build a second luxurious villa on the same site. He also acquired numerous properties, invested in enterprises, opened banks and pawnshops, and lived a comfortable life as a retired official. Chen Guangyuan passed away in this residence in August 1939.

The Former Residence of Chen Guangyuan is located at the corner of Guilin Road and Dali Road. The building is bordered by Hengyang Road to the east, Dali Road to the south, Guilin Road to the west, and Changde Road to the north. It is a two-story, partially three-story European-style modern building. The yellow sulfur-glazed brick walls are particularly eye-catching, especially as the second floor protrudes beyond the third. The second floor features a large terrace, and the rooftop of the third floor has an octagonal pavilion. The architectural style is uniquely creative, exuding dignity and grandeur with a touch of luxury.

Chen Guangyuan (1872–1939), courtesy name Xiufeng, was from Wuqing, Zhili (now part of Tianjin). Among the Beiyang-era retired officials residing in Tianjin’s foreign concessions, he was the foremost millionaire. At the age of 19, he entered the Tianjin Military Preparatory School. After graduation, he held various positions including officer of the Wuyi Right Army, chief of the General Affairs Office of the Beiyang Standing Army’s Military and Political Department, infantry commander, and commander of the Eighth Brigade of the Fourth Division of the Beiyang Army. In 1918, after Feng Guozhang became acting president, he was appointed Military Governor of Jiangxi. Together with Li Chun, the Military Governor of Jiangsu, and Wang Zhan Yuan, the Military Governor of Hubei, they were known as the “Three Governors of the Yangtze,” forming a core group of the Zhili warlords. In 1922, he was dismissed from his post and came to Tianjin to... More details about Chen Guangyuan++

Further Reading:

· Fourth Batch of Protected Cultural Heritage Sites of Tianjin