Former Residence of Wu Yulin

　　 The former residence of Wu Yulin is situated at No. 292 Jiefang South Road, Hexi District. Constructed in 1931, the property originally comprised three brick-and-wood buildings — two on the north side and one on the south. Both front and rear sections of the northern building had three floors and were interconnected. The smaller southern building had two floors. Surrounding the main structures were over ten auxiliary rooms. A garden courtyard lay between the north and south buildings, connected by a long corridor. The northern building featured elaborate decorations; for instance, the first-floor living room of the front building was adorned with colorful figure paintings, and its exterior windows were fitted with stained glass. The front building also had a basement with a vertical shaft that, according to legend, led to the Hai River. Wu Yulin and his second wife lived on the first floor, while his sons Wu Zhenhong and Wu Jiguang, along with his widowed sister-in-law and their children, resided on the second floor. Today, the front and rear sections of the northern building remain largely in their original state, comprising a total of 80 rooms, with a construction area of 2,723.78 square meters and covering an area of 6 mu. This residence is now listed as a cultural relic protection unit of Tianjin Municipality.

　　

　　Wu Yulin (1871~1944)　　 Wu Yulin (1871–1944), courtesy name Qiufang, was a native of Tianjin with ancestral roots in Cangxian County. After graduating from the Beiyang Naval Academy, he studied in Europe and America. He held various positions including acting prefect, instructor on the navy training ship, foreign affairs commissioner at the admiralty headquarters, supervisory officer for the Beijing–Yanji Railway, examiner at the Ministry of War, assistant director at the Ministry of Posts and Communications, and naval inspector. In 1912, he was appointed Rear Admiral of the Navy and subsequently served as director of the Dagukou Shipyard, coastal defense commander, and general manager of the Beiyang Iron Factory. In 1918, he became an advisor to the Zhili-Shandong-Henan Patrol Inspectorate, consultant to the Capital Relief Grain Office, supervisor of the Eastern Beijing Canal, and councilor at the Ministry of Communications. In 1921, he was named president of the Capital Preservation Society. In 1922, he became director of the Jinpu Railway Administration Bureau, and pu... Details+