Former Residence of Huang Xing

　　In the northern part of the former French Concession in old Shanghai, there was a quiet road called Ferguson Road (now Wukang Road). At No. 393, right next to the road, stood a white four-story building — the residence of Huang Xing, a close friend of Dr. Sun Yat-sen, the forerunner of China’s revolution. It was known as “Huang Mansion.”

　　The Huang Mansion was constructed in 1912 and completed in 1915. It is an early 20th-century building designed in a neoclassical style with typical Art Deco elements. The structure has a three-bay layout facing the street, is four stories high, and built with reinforced concrete. It covers a land area of 255 square meters and a floor space of 749 square meters. Originally, the south side of the building featured a garden densely planted with lush pines and cypresses, offering ample shade and green lawns. There were also grape and wisteria trellises, as well as rare plants such as Xiangfei bamboo, white sand loquat trees, magnolia, and osmanthus vines. In the southwest corner stood a thatched pavilion, creating an elegant environment. The ground floor had symmetrical marble outdoor steps with granite used for the wall base. The façade featured exposed cement blocks that highlighted light-colored horizontal and vertical lines, along with numerous reliefs and decorative moldings. Between the second and third floors on the south wall, there was an arched, colorful cement balcony supported by sturdy corbels that served both decorative and structural purposes. Various types of windows added to the building’s classic and refined ambiance. The interior staircase was designed with an L-shaped turn, and the banisters were in the Art Deco style. The steps were mostly made of granite, while the floors were paved with decorative ceramic tiles. The bedrooms had parquet flooring made of keruing wood, the interior walls were lined with teak wood, and the ceilings featured plaster molding patterns, all contributing to the building’s exquisite interior design.

　　In October 1916, Huang Xing passed away from illness in this residence. Afterward, it successively housed the World Society, World College, and Chinese Classics Museum. In 1933, the Shanghai International Library was established here, followed by the World School in 1936, which was later renamed World Primary School. After the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, a two-story brick-and-wood school building with five classrooms was constructed on the east side of the garden. After the liberation, the site was initially managed by the East China Cultural and Educational Committee, then converted into Huaihai Middle Road No. 2 Primary School. In 1969, the primary school moved out, and the building was taken over by Wukang Road Primary School. In 1981, Huiguang Middle School moved in, and a five-story mixed-structure teaching building was built south of the garden. The garden no longer exists, and the former residence is now used by the acting troupe of Shanghai Film Studio. On June 13, 1999, it was designated as an outstanding modern architectural heritage site of Shanghai.

　　

　　Huang Xing (1874~1916)　　Huang Xing (October 25, 1874 – October 31, 1916), originally named Zhen, later changed his name to Xing with the courtesy name Keqiang, also known as Jinwu or Qingwu, and used the pseudonyms Qingsheng and Jingwu. During the revolutionary period, he used aliases such as Li Youqing, Zhang Shouzheng, Okamoto, and Imamura Nagazō. An ethnic Han from Gaotang Township, Shanhua County, Changsha Prefecture, Hunan Province (now Liangtang, Huangxing Town, Changsha County), he was a founding father of the Republic of China. During the Xinhai Revolution, he was widely known by his courtesy name Huang Keqiang and often mentioned alongside Sun Yat-sen as the “Sun-Huang duo.” Huang Xing passed away in Shanghai on October 31, 1916. On April 15, 1917, he was given a state funeral on Mount Yuelu in Changsha, Hunan, honored by the elders of the Republic. His writings include “Huang Keqiang...” Details+