South Street Residential Buildings in Guanxian County (Former Residence of Zhang Menggeng)

South Street Residential Buildings in Guanxian County (Former Residence of Zhang Menggeng)

The South Street Residential Buildings in Guanxian County are a Shandong Provincial Cultural Heritage Conservation Unit.

The South Street Residential Buildings in Guanxian County (Former Residence of Zhang Menggeng) are located on the west side of the middle section of the north-south main street in the old town of Guanxian County, and are a provincial-level cultural heritage conservation site.

The South Street residences were first built during the late Qing Dynasty and early Republican period. Zhang Menggeng, a martyr who heroically sacrificed his life in the March 18th Massacre, was born here. The residences are traditional courtyard-style buildings, consisting of three separate courtyards. Courtyards No. 1 and No. 2 were built during the Qing Dynasty: No. 1 was once a tobacco shop called Yuanxingcheng, owned by a person surnamed Zhou, while No. 2 was a pharmacy called Tonghetang, owned by an elder surnamed Guo. Courtyard No. 3 was built in the early years of the Republic of China by a businessman surnamed Ren from Liaocheng. In the first year of the Republic of China (1911), Guo Laozi exchanged the backyard of Courtyard No. 2 with Zhang Jinzhen for four street-front rooms on the east side of the road. In the later stages of the War of Resistance against Japan, the South Street residences served as the headquarters of the Southern Hebei Regional Committee, where the veteran revolutionary Song Renqiong once lived. It has now been converted into the Memorial Hall of the Western Shandong Special Committee.

Although some buildings have been demolished due to historical reasons, the South Street residences largely retain their original layout. Currently, the site covers an area of 1,500 square meters with over 40 rooms. All the buildings are grey-brick and tile structures facing east, featuring a simple and classic style, rigorous structure, and embodying typical characteristics of the time and regional ethnic features. They are representative of civilian dwellings in western Shandong during the late Qing Dynasty and Republican period.

Zhang Menggeng (1909–1926), courtesy name Xiaobai, was from Zhangli Village in Liangtang Township (now part of Guanxian County). At the age of 15, he left his hometown to study at Datong Middle School in Beiping (now Beijing), where he served as the student council president. During his school years, he was dissatisfied with warlord rule. When Dr. Sun Yat-sen visited Beiping, Zhang personally attended the revolutionary pioneer’s speech and often interacted with other revolutionary figures such as Li Dazhao, which inspired his revolutionary ideals. In March 1925, he joined the Chinese Communist Party. He also joined the Chinese Nationalist Party as an individual member. In the spring of 1926, when eight foreign powers interfered in China’s internal affairs, he angrily wrote a letter denouncing them. On March 18, students from various schools in Beiping... More details about Zhang Menggeng ++

Further Reading:

· Third Batch of Shandong Provincial Cultural Heritage Conservation Units