Former Residence of Zhang Xun

Former Residence of Zhang Xun

The former residence of Zhang Xun is a cultural tourism attraction.

The former residence of Zhang Xun is located on No. 6 Pukou Road in the German Concession (now No. 6 Pukou Road, Hexi District), stretching from Taierzhuang Road in the east to Jiangsu Road in the west, Pukou Road in the south, and Bengbu Road in the north. It is a Western-style building purchased from the Qing royal family, constructed in 1899 in the German architectural style. The main structure consists of an eastern and a western building, comprising 56 rooms and 54 rooms, covering a land area of 16,585 square meters with a built-up area of 10,737 square meters. The eastern building serves as the residential block and is designed in the shape of a lion. The western building functions as the guest reception area, featuring a circular foyer accessed via high steps and connected by corridors. The ground floor houses a theater with a second-floor viewing gallery. The front section of the second floor has a large terrace. The courtyard includes rockeries, pavilions, a lotus pond, stone bridges, rowboats, and is home to birds, animals, and flowers. The entire property is well laid out and enjoys a tranquil environment. It is currently used by the Municipal Commodity Inspection Bureau.

Zhang Xun (December 14, 1854 – September 11, 1923), originally named Zhang He, with the courtesy names Shaoxuan and Shaoxuan, also known as Songshou Laoren, posthumously honored as Zhongwu, was a native of Fengxin County, Jiangxi Province, and a prominent warlord of China’s late Qing and early Republican period. During the late Qing Dynasty, he served as Governor-General of Yunnan, Gansu, and Jiangnan.

After the fall of the Qing Dynasty, to demonstrate his loyalty to the imperial family, Zhang Xun prohibited his troops from cutting off their queues (braided hair), earning him the nickname “Queue General.” In 1913, he suppressed the anti-Yuan forces. Later, he served as the Yangtze River Patrol Inspector and Governor of Anhui. In 1917, under the pretext of mediating the "palace-cabinet dispute," he led troops into Beijing and, on July 1st, together with Kang Youwei, supported the restoration of Puyi to the throne. However, 1... More details about Zhang Xun++