Du Yuesheng’s Former Residence

　　The residence of the "notable figure of Shanghai" Du Yuesheng is located at No. 70 Donghu Road, with a construction area of 14,000 square meters and a garden area of 15,000 square meters, designed by Jian’an Surveying and Mapping Firm. It consists of six buildings, with Buildings 1 and 2 on the side of No. 70 Donghu Road, built in 1934. These are two connected four-story garden residences, each with a small Western-style house on the east and west sides.

　　In fact, Du Yuesheng’s new residence on Donghu Road was built with over 300,000 US dollars earned from Jin Tingsun’s profiteering from aviation lottery tickets, as a gesture to please Du.

　　This residence features an eclectic architectural style. The main building is five stories high (the original structure had four floors, with one added after the founding of the People’s Republic of China), faces south, and is constructed of reinforced concrete. The floor plan follows a traditional Chinese layout of five bays with two wing rooms, utilizing classical composition techniques such as symmetry and segmentation, creating rich spatial layering. The facade is meticulously composed, featuring bay windows, recessed balconies, and a set-back top floor, giving the main building a dynamic interplay of solid and void. Particular attention is paid to details, with decorative bands on window sills, railings, and cornices, resulting in an exquisite overall appearance.

　　This new residence also exhibits distinct Art Deco influences, characteristic of the modern architecture movement. Such buildings typically feature functional and economic considerations taking precedence, with elaborate revivalist styles significantly reduced and replaced by decorative motifs focused on key areas. Decorative bands are often found around cornices and windows, with patterns primarily geometric or inspired by natural flora. These additional ornaments were gradually phased out with the evolution of modern architecture. The main building has exterior corridors above the second floor, with a terrace on the fifth floor, while the wing rooms feature solid walls with window openings, symmetrically arranged and regularly composed. The balcony railings also follow classical designs, using straight-panel styles. The roof is gently sloped, with arched eaves and exquisitely decorated details. The main building’s east and west wings are adorned with symmetrical colonnades forming polyhedral shapes. The southern facade uses large bluestone pillars for support, with the wall base constructed from chiseled faux stone, ensuring sturdiness. A pair of stone lions flank the steps, guarding the “safety” of the residence. The interior layout follows traditional Chinese suite-style arrangements, furnished with French-style furniture. The living facilities are comprehensive, with ornate and noble decorative details reflecting the aesthetic values of the affluent class at the time.

　　In front of the house are stacked lake rocks forming artificial hills, along with an ancient pavilion, small bridges over flowing water, winding paths surrounded by towering ancient trees—creating a classical Chinese courtyard where rocks and plants compete in beauty. Various rare flowers and trees are planted around, some of which are seldom-seen treasures in Shanghai gardens.

　　After its completion, the residence remained unoccupied. Du Yuesheng had made the following arrangements: the ground-floor living room could host 50 banquet tables and was usually used for receiving guests; the east wing room served as the accounting office, and the west wing room as the dining hall; the second floor was for his second wife; the third floor for his first wife; the small Western-style house to the west for his third wife; and the one to the east for his fourth wife. The main building’s furnishings were all French-style furniture, with the dining room, living room, and banquet hall exuding a simple yet elegant charm, embodying both the architectural style of classical southern Chinese courtyards and the comfortable, refined characteristics of French villas.

　　Just as Du Yuesheng was preparing to move into the new residence, the August 13th War of Resistance broke out, and thus he never lived in this new home for even a single day.

　　At that time, besides the residence at No. 70 Donghu Road, Du Yuesheng also owned another house on Huaguoe Road (now Ninghai West Road). The Huaguoe Road residence was said to have been given to Du by Huang Jinrong. In front was a two-story Shikumen stone building in the Chinese style, with the second floor allocated to his first wife, Shen Yueying. She did not bear any children but later adopted a son named Du Weiping (nickname Lin Bao). Because their fortune prospered after the adoption, Du treated Lin Bao as his own, doting on him immensely. The back building was Western-style, with the ground floor serving as offices, the accounting room, and the dining hall, among other uses, the second floor for his second wife Chen Guoying, and the third floor for his third wife Sun Peihao.

　　Du Yuesheng’s first three wives were all from Suzhou, while his fourth wife, Yao Yulan, was from Beijing. When Du married Yao, he faced joint opposition from Chen Guoying and Sun Peihao. Later, Chen Guoying privately reached an agreement with Du to allow the marriage. As a result, Du rented a place on Laifei Fang (now Fuxing Middle Road Fuxing Fang) and married Yao there. Upon learning of this, Sun Peihao, furious, left Du’s household with her two sons and servants and moved to the United States, only returning to Shanghai after the victory of the War of Resistance.

　　In 1936, the famous Peking opera actress Meng Xiaodong performed briefly and cut the ribbon for the opening of the Golden Theatre, staying at Yao Yulan’s residence at the time. Being an opera enthusiast, Du Yuesheng’s interactions with Meng Xiaodong became more frequent. Not long after, this young, beautiful, and wildly popular Yu School opera star eventually became Du’s fifth wife.

　　During the Japanese puppet regime period, Wu Shaoshu once stayed here briefly. After the outbreak of the Pacific War on December 1941, Du Yuesheng relocated to Chongqing, establishing the Heng Society’s headquarters and expanding influence into the rear areas.

　　After the victory in the War of Resistance, Du Yuesheng’s Donghu Road residence was temporarily occupied by the Kuomintang’s Military Statistics Bureau. Eventually, Du sold the property to the American Information Service for 600,000 US dollars, and it was later used as the American Consulate. Du himself moved into the Hua Mao Apartments on Maoming Road. In 1948, in an attempt to rescue the severe financial crisis, Chiang Kai-shek sent Chiang Ching-kuo to Shanghai to “crack down on profiteers,” implementing currency reform and issuing gold yuan certificates, requiring the public to exchange all legal tender, foreign currency, and gold and silver for gold yuan certificates. Du Yuesheng’s son, Du Weiping, did not fully comply, leading to his arrest by Chiang Ching-kuo on charges of speculation and profiteering, and he was sentenced to six months in prison. After this incident, Du Yuesheng realized his position in Shanghai was untenable. On May 1, 1949, Du Yuesheng and his family moved to Hong Kong, and on August 16, 1951, this iconic “notable figure” of Shanghai passed away in Hong Kong.

　　After the liberation of Shanghai, Du Yuesheng’s residence was confiscated by the people's government. In 1950, it was repurposed as the East Lake Road Guesthouse of the CPC East China Bureau; in 1954, it became the East Lake Road Guesthouse of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee; and in 1982, it was renamed Donghu Hotel, the name it retains to this day.

　　

　　Du Yuesheng (1888~1951)　　Du Yuesheng (1888–1951), male, originally named Du Yuesheng (literally "Moon Born"), later renamed Yong upon the suggestion of Zhang Taiyan, with the courtesy name Yuesheng, was a native of Chuansha, Jiangsu (now Pudong New Area, Shanghai) and a prominent member of the Green Gang in Shanghai during the modern era. In 1902, Du Yuesheng joined the residence of Huang Jinrong, then leader of the Green Gang in Shanghai, where he managed the French Concession casino known as the “Gongxing Club.” In July 1925, Du Yuesheng established the “Sanxin Company,” monopolizing the opium transport operations in the French Concession. In April 1927, Du Yuesheng, together with Huang Jinrong and Zhang Xiaolin, organized the Chinese Unity Association. In 1929, Du Yuesheng was appointed as a Chinese member of the Municipal Council (Chinese: 华董), marking the first time... More+