Former Residence of Zhang Zhizhong in Chongqing

　　The former residence of General Zhang Zhizhong in Chongqing is situated in Sanshenggong Village, Tuzhu Town, Shapingba District. The "Sanshenggong" is a slope-style courtyard complex built along the contours of the mountain, covering an area of 5,333 square meters. Originally a Qing Dynasty temple, it is one of the few significant ancient architectural relics in religious culture that embodies the convergence of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism. With a history of over 200 years, it served as the residence and office of the renowned patriotic general and “General of Peace,” Zhang Zhizhong, during the War of Resistance against Japan. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the site was used as a primary school, and later as a farmhouse. Due to years of neglect, it fell into severe disrepair and was on the verge of collapse. Since 2003, the Shapingba District Committee of the Communist Party of China and the People's Government of Shapingba District have attached great importance to the restoration of Zhang Zhizhong’s former residence, convening multiple meetings to specifically discuss the renovation project. In May 2003, the 8th executive meeting of the district government designated the former residence as a district-level cultural relic protection unit (Shapingba Government Office Document [2003] No. 101) and incorporated it into the overall planning of the Western University Town. In the same year, the Shapingba District Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television, News, and Publication repurchased the land use rights from Sanshenggong Village, Tuzhu Town, for a fee. Starting in 2005, the bureau established a materials collection team and a physical artifacts collection team, making four trips to Beijing and three to Nanjing to gather historical materials. They also obtained a large amount of lesser-known related documents and objects from the Second Historical Archives of China in Nanjing, as well as from Zhang Zhizhong’s children and former subordinates. In 2006, the conservation plan and construction design proposal for the former residence passed expert review at the municipal level, and the restoration project was listed as a major social development initiative in Shapingba District for 2007. In April 2007, the restoration project officially commenced, and by October of the same year, the main structure was completed. In January 2008, the former residence was officially opened to the public. He Luli, Vice Chairperson of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress and Chairperson of the Central Committee of the Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang, inscribed the nameplate “Former Residence of Zhang Zhizhong in Chongqing.”