Former Residence of Yang Yide

Former Residence of Yang Yide

The Former Residence of Yang Yide is a protected cultural heritage site of Tianjin Municipality.

In the early 20th century, Yang Yide purchased over 20 acres of land at present-day Erwei Road and Ermalu in Nankai District, where he built a traditional Chinese courtyard home and a garden villa designed in classical Chinese architectural style. The garden villa came to be known as “Yang Family Garden.” In 1921, Yang Yide demolished the original courtyard structure on Erwei Road in Nankai and reconstructed a three-story building with a basement that blended Chinese and Western styles (present-day No. 41, Erwei Road, Nankai District), while the original garden site was turned into a theater building. The entire building covers a land area of 1,019.6 square meters, with a floor space of 1,575.6 square meters. It features a brick-and-wood structure, European-style steeply pitched roofs, red bricks, and green roof tiles, with ornamental protruding exterior eaves. The main entrance is flanked by Ionic columns, with high steps in the center, and the south façade includes a two-story colonnade. The ground floor houses a living room, dining room, study, and more; the second floor contains bedrooms and storage rooms; the third floor has 21 rooms and a spacious terrace. The basement was used to house servants. The residence also includes several single-story buildings and a garage.

After the liberation, the Former Residence of Yang Yide was taken over by the Langfang Military Sub-district of the Beijing Military Region. The original garden area was later converted into residential housing. The residence was damaged during the 1976 earthquake and subsequently repaired by the Beijing Military Region in 1983. Except for the basement, which was divided into 13 rooms for use as dormitories and offices during the renovation, the rest of the building retained its original appearance.

Further Reading:

· Fourth Batch of Protected Cultural Heritage Sites of Tianjin Municipality

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