Former Residence of Yuan Nai-kuan

　　The former residence of Yuan Nai-kuan is located at No. 39, Haihe East Road, Hebei District. The building was constructed in 1908, covering an area of 3,109.35 square meters. It was designed by British and German engineers and is a European classical-style structure, consisting of a main building and a secondary building. The main building has an L-shaped floor plan, is a three-story brick-and-wood structure with a partial semi-basement, and contains a total of 54 rooms, with a construction area of 2,089.02 square meters. It features the architectural style of the Netherlands and Belgium in Northern Europe, characterized by Netherlandish design elements. The sides facing the Haihe River and Minzhu Avenue both have gabled walls, with pointed gable ornaments decorated with Gothic carvings. The gables are divided into three stepped horizontal layers, enhancing the horizontal division. The roof is made of wood, and the steep red roof along with the towering pavilion towers presents a very charming appearance. The main entrance is accessed from a recessed corner, and the porch is formed by a combination of square and round columns. The ground floor includes a large living room, dining room, study, and more. The second floor houses the bedrooms, with access to the third floor via a small spiral staircase. The main building has over 20 rooms of various sizes. At the residential entrance, there is a gatehouse with a dome, which was once inhabited by residents and has now been fully restored. This former residence has been listed as a cultural relics protection unit of Tianjin Municipality.

　　Yuan Nai-kuan (1868~1946)　　Yuan Nai-kuan (1868–1946), originally named Ke-kuan and styled Shaoming, was a native of Zhenyang Town, Zhengyang County, Henan Province. He was a trusted aide and steward of Yuan Shikai. He was the son of Yuan Youzhi, who served as a battalion commander in the Qing Dynasty’s Chen Prefecture Garrison and participated in the suppression of the Taiping Rebellion and the Nian Rebellion, dying in battle in Chenzhou. At that time, Yuan Nai-kuan was nine years old. He returned to his hometown with his mother, Madam Zhang, to bury his father’s coffin, and the family began to decline. Yuan Nai-kuan studied in a private school in his early years and later passed the local imperial examination. Because his father had a clan affiliation with Yuan Shikai of Xiangcheng, when Yuan Shikai was appointed as the Qing government’s full-power representative in Korea for diplomatic and trade negotiations, Yuan Nai-kuan joined him in the 19th year of the Guangxu reign (1893), addressing Yuan Shikai as his uncle, and went to Korea to serve. He gained Yuan Shikai’s great trust and was initially in charge of managing documents and archives... More+