Former Site of the Ai De Hospital

Former Site of the Ai De Hospital

The Former Site of the Ai De Hospital is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Former Site of the Ai De Hospital

Era: Republican Era

The Red Cross Hospital is located at No. 38 Huancheng East Road, Xiacheng District. It was formerly known as the Ai De Hospital, also called the Sacred Heart Hospital. In 1922, Sister Hagele, a nun from the French Catholic Ai De Convent, donated part of her family assets to establish the Ai De Hospital on Shipan Lane in Daomao Alley. The hospital was managed by foreign nuns. In the autumn of 1928, when British nun Peng (commonly known as the “White-Hat Nun”) became the hospital director, she built a Gothic church, an X-ray room, a free clinic, free patient wards, and the school building of Starfish Primary School, in addition to the existing convent residence, male and female ward buildings, and the doctor’s residence. After 1949, the hospital was taken over by the People’s Government. In June 1955, it was renamed Hangzhou Red Cross Hospital.

The Ai De Hospital was established by a foreign church organization and built according to the Western medical system. The church building on the site features Gothic architecture, with high-quality construction materials and exquisite decorative details, showcasing significant architectural art value. The four surrounding red-brick buildings, also constructed during the Ai De Hospital period, are well-preserved and, together with the church, form a cohesive historical and cultural complex with a unified ambiance.

On October 7, 2019, the Former Site of the Ai De Hospital was included in the eighth batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Source: Zhejiang Cultural Relics Network

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units

· Eighth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units