Former Residence of Duan Qirui

Former Residence of Duan Qirui

The former residence of Duan Qirui is a cultural tourism attraction.

The former residence of Duan Qirui is located at No. 38 Anshan Road, Heping District, as it stands today. Built in 1920, this residence was originally the private property of Wu Guangxin (Duan’s brother-in-law), who served as the Army Minister of the Beiyang Government. It was later given to Duan to live in, hence it came to be known as “Duan’s Mansion.” At the time, it was the most luxurious private mansion-style residence in the Japanese Concession. The building is of brick-and-wood construction, featuring a three-story European classical-style architecture. The front part of the building has high stone steps, a columned veranda, and a hipped roof. Originally, there was an octagonal pavilion on the top, which was removed after the 1976 earthquake. The entire residence consists of 74 rooms, including both floors and single-story buildings, covering a construction area of 3,458 square meters. The former residence is currently used by the Heping District Teachers’ Further Education School and is listed as a cultural relic protection unit of Heping District.

Duan Qirui (1865–1936), originally named Qirui, courtesy name Zhiquan, and late-stage alias Zhengdao Laoren, was of Han ethnicity and hailed from Hefei, Anhui. Born on March 6, 1865 (the ninth day of the second lunar month in the fourth year of the Tongzhi reign), he was a politician during the Republic of China era and the leader of the Anhui Clique warlords.

A native of Taipingji in Lu’an County (now Jinqiao Township, Feixi County). He was born on March 6, 1865 (the ninth day of the second lunar month in the fourth year of the Qing Tongzhi reign) at his ancestral home three li north of Taipingji in Lu’an County. His grandfather, Duan Pei (courtesy name Yunshan), had previously engaged in smuggling salt and organizing local militias with Liu Mingchuan, and was commended for his role in suppressing the Nian Rebellion. He served as commander of the Huai Army, leading troops in... More details on Duan Qirui ++