Former Residence of Wu Yulin

Former Residence of Wu Yulin

The former residence of Wu Yulin is a cultural tourism attraction.

The former residence of Wu Yulin is located at No. 292, Jiefang South Road, Hexi District. Built in 1931, the site originally had three brick-and-wood buildings: two northern structures and one southern structure. Both front and rear northern buildings are three stories high and interconnected. The smaller southern building has two stories. There are over ten auxiliary rooms surrounding the main buildings. A courtyard garden lies between the north and south buildings, connected by a corridor. The northern buildings are elaborately decorated: the first floor living room of the front building features colored paintings of various figures, and the exterior windows are adorned with stained glass. The front building has a basement with a vertical shaft, which is said to lead to the Haihe River. Wu Yulin and his second wife lived on the first floor, while their sons Wu Zhenhong and Wu Jiguang, along with his widowed sister-in-law and her children, resided on the second floor. Currently, the front and rear northern buildings largely retain their original appearance, with a total of 80 rooms covering a built-up area of 2,723.78 square meters and a site area of 6 mu. This residence is now listed as a protected cultural heritage site of Tianjin Municipality.

Wu Yulin (1871–1944), courtesy name Qiufang, was a native of Tianjin with ancestral roots in Cangxian County. After graduating from the Beiyang Naval Academy, he studied in Europe and America. He held successive positions including Acting Prefect, Instructor at the Navy Training Ship, Foreign Affairs Officer at the Admiralty Office, Supervisor of the Beijing-Tianjin Railway, Examiner at the Ministry of War, Assistant Director at the Ministry of Posts and Communications, and Navy Inspector. In 1912, he was appointed Rear Admiral and later served as Director of the Dagukou Shipyard, Coastal Defense Commander, and General Manager of the Beiyang Iron Factory. In 1918, he became Advisor to the Zhili-Shandong-Henan Patrol Inspectorate, Consultant to the Capital Relief and Grain Distribution Office, Supervisor of the Eastern Beijing Canal, and Councilor at the Ministry of Communications. In 1921, he was appointed to the Capital Preservation Committee... More details about Wu Yulin ++