Former Residence of Chen Jitang

Former Residence of Chen Jitang

The Former Residence of Chen Jitang is a protected cultural heritage site of Guangzhou.

The Former Residence of Chen Jitang is located in Meihua Village on Zhongshan 1st Road, Guangzhou. It is a garden-style residence. Built in 1930 and designed by Luo Mingyu, a technician from the Public Works Bureau, it later became a gathering place for key figures of the Kuomintang (KMT). From July to September 1949, after the People's Liberation Army crossed the Yangtze River, Chiang Kai-shek held a series of KMT Central Standing Committee meetings here, where the establishment of the “KMT National Emergency Committee” was decided, and secret discussions were held with Li Zongren to plan the defense of mainland China.

The main gate of the residence faces east, with an octagonal pavilion built inside. The main building is situated in the center of the courtyard, with an annex on the north side and a former pond and rockery on the south side, which have now been replaced by office buildings.

The main building has two and a half floors, faces south, and is constructed with a combination of brick and concrete. The exterior walls are made of red bricks, and the entrance is on the south side, topped with a pediment. Four square pillars support the overhanging eaves on the second floor. A staircase behind the foyer leads to the second floor, with rooms on both sides equipped with fireplaces and cement tile flooring. The top floor is a terrace, featuring a dome-roofed pavilion at the front and additional rooms at the back. A staircase at the rear of the second floor leads to the annex.

The annex has two floors, divided into eastern and western sections, built with red bricks. The southern side features a corridor, while the northern side contains rooms. The eastern section is covered with green-glazed tiles. It is currently used as the office of the Guangdong Provincial Women’s Federation.

Chen Jitang (1890–1954), courtesy name Bonan, was from Fangcheng County, Guangdong (now part of Guangxi). He graduated from the Guangdong Army Rapid Training School, joined the Qinzhou Police Training Institute in 1907, later became a member of the Tongmenghui (Chinese Revolutionary Alliance), and held various positions including regimental and brigade commander of the Guangdong Army, division and army commander of the National Revolutionary Army, Commander-in-Chief of the Anti-Communist 8th Route Army, Commander-in-Chief of the Anti-Japanese Salvation Army, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry of the Nationalist Government, and Executive Committee Standing Member of the KMT Central Committee. He participated in Sun Yat-sen’s movements to protect the republic and oppose Yuan Shikai, as well as campaigns against Chen Jiongming. During his governance of Guangdong from 1929 to 1936, he focused on developing the province’s economy and urban infrastructure. In 1936, he initiated the Guangdong-Guangxi Incident. He went to Taiwan in 1950 and devoted his later years to education. After his death, his remains were interred in Zhanjiang.

In 1993, the Guangzhou Municipal Government designated it as a cultural heritage protection unit.

Further Reading:

· Fourth Batch of Guangzhou Cultural Heritage Protection Units