Former Site of the Nanchang Branch of the Lize Society

Former Site of the Nanchang Branch of the Lize Society

The former site of the Nanchang Branch of the Lize Society is a cultural relic protection unit of Jiangxi Province.

The former site of the Nanchang Branch of the Lize Society is located within Binjiang Hotel at No. 216 Aiguo Road, Donghu District, Nanchang City. It borders Binjiang Avenue to the north, Aiguo Road to the south, and the northern end of Erjing Road extends from the southern gate of Binjiang Hotel. Its geographic coordinates are 28°41'51.6"N, 115°53'19.7"E, with an elevation of approximately 30 meters. Internally referred to as “Building No. 1,” it is a brick, wood, stone, and concrete structure built in a Sino-Western hybrid palatial style. Constructed in 1933 and completed in 1934, it faces south, has a width of 26 meters, a depth of 46 meters, and covers an area of about 1,100 square meters.

The Lize Society was established in 1929, originally named the “Lize Society of the Whampoa Alumni Association.” It later evolved into a semi-military secret service organization. Its main tasks included managing cultural, educational, recreational, and welfare affairs for the National Revolutionary Army; hosting American officers stationed in China and their families; and handling certain private matters for Chairman Chiang. This building holds significant value for the study of the evolution of large-scale architecture from Chinese to Western styles during the Republican era.

After its completion in 1934, the building initially served as the office of the “New Life Movement Promotion Headquarters” of the Republican government, and later became the workplace of the Nanchang Branch of the Lize Society. The site has a "work" character-shaped floor plan, with three floors in total (two above ground and one semi-underground). The exterior walls are made of blue bricks with cement rendering, and the roof features a nine-ridge hip-and-gable style with imitation palace ornaments and gray machine-made tiles. From south to north, the layout includes a front porch, main (large) hall, meeting venue, podium, and guest reception rooms on both sides.

In March 2018, it was designated as part of the sixth batch of provincial-level cultural relic protection units in Jiangxi Province.

Source: District Culture, Radio, Television, News and Tourism Bureau

Further reading:

· Sixth Batch of Jiangxi Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Units