Former Residence of Yuan Nai-kuan

Former Residence of Yuan Nai-kuan

The former residence of Yuan Nai-kuan is a cultural tourism attraction.

The former residence of Yuan Nai-kuan is located at No. 39, Haihe East Road, Hebei District. The building was constructed in 1908, covering an area of 3,109.35 square meters. It was designed by British and German engineers and is a European classical-style structure, consisting of a main building and a secondary one. The main building has an L-shaped floor plan, featuring a three-story brick-and-wood structure with a partial semi-basement, totaling 54 rooms, with a construction area of 2,089.02 square meters. It adopts architectural styles from the Nordic countries of the Netherlands and Belgium, characterized by Netherlandish features. The sides facing the Haihe River and Minzhu Avenue both feature gabled facades with pointed gable ornaments decorated with Gothic carvings. The gables are divided into three stepped horizontal layers, enhancing the horizontal division. The roof is of wooden structure, and the steep red roof together with the towering pavilion towers presents a particularly charming appearance. The main entrance is accessed from the reentrant angle, and the porch is formed by a combination of square and round columns. The ground floor includes a large living room, dining room, study, and more. The second floor houses bedrooms, with access to the third floor via a small spiral staircase. There are over 20 rooms of various sizes in the main building. At the residential entrance, there is a gatehouse topped with a dome, which was once inhabited by residents and has now been fully restored. This former residence has been listed as a cultural relics protection unit of Tianjin Municipality.

Yuan Nai-kuan (1868–1946), originally named Ke-kuan and styled Shaoming, was a native of Zhenyang Town, Zhengyang County, Henan Province, and a trusted aide and steward of Yuan Shikai.

His father, Yuan Youzhi, served as a Battalion Commander of the Chenzhou Camp during the Tongzhi era of the Qing Dynasty and participated in the suppression of the Taiping Rebellion and the Nian Rebellion, dying in battle in Chenzhou. At that time, Nai-kuan was nine years old. He returned to his hometown with his mother, Madam Zhang, to bury his father’s coffin, and their family fell into decline. Nai-kuan studied in a private school in his early years and later passed the local imperial examination to become a Xiangsheng (a degree-holder at the county level). Because his father had kinship ties with Yuan Shikai from Xiangcheng, when Yuan Shikai was appointed as the Qing government's full-power representative in Korea for diplomatic and trade affairs, Nai-kuan joined Yuan in the 19th year of the Guangxu reign (1893), addressing him as uncle, and went to... More details about Yuan Nai-kuan ++