Former Residence of Zhang Ting’e

　　Zhang Ting’e lived here during his two terms as mayor of Tianjin in 1934 and 1945. The former residence was built during the Republican era, located at No. 35 Minzhu Road, Hebei District, within the Italian Concession, with a total area of 540 square meters. The building is a two-story structure made of brick and wood, featuring a semi-basement, gabled roofs at the front and rear, and dormer windows. The entrance hall faces south and includes a balcony. The surface and corners of the walls are built to resemble ashlar masonry.

　　The first floor serves as a reception hall, while the second floor contains living quarters and bathrooms, all designed in an Italian style and well preserved. Plans include nominating it as a district-level cultural heritage site and installing explanatory plaques to promote it. It will be featured as a tourist attraction showcasing Italian-style architecture.

　　

　　The former residence of Zhang Ting’e was built during the Republican era at No. 35 Minzhu Road, Hebei District. Originally owned by Duan Qirui, it was later inhabited by him after he was dismissed by Li Yuanhong during the 1917 constitutional crisis of the Beiyang Government and moved to Tianjin. Zhang Ting’e purchased the property through installment payments under the name of his family’s clan hall, Yishuntang. He and his family lived in the main building. The structure is a two-story Italian-style building made of brick and wood, with a rear building and basement, covering an area of two acres and featuring over thirty rooms. It has gabled roofs at both ends, dormer windows, a south-facing entrance hall with a balcony, and walls and corners designed to resemble ashlar masonry. The first floor is a reception hall, and the second floor contains living quarters and bathrooms, with a total area of 540 square meters. The original courtyard included a carriage house left by Duan Qirui, which Zhang converted into a garage after acquiring a car. The surrounding ground was paved with square bricks and planted with lilacs, jujube trees, and dragon claw locusts, along with a swing set and numerous fish tanks. After the liberation of Tianjin, the former residence on Minzhu Road was used by the military, serving as a guesthouse for officers and later as a kindergarten. It currently functions as office space, with its original appearance largely preserved.

　　

　　Zhang Ting’e (1890~1973)　　Zhang Ting’e (1890–1973), courtesy name Zhiquing, was a native of Fengrun, Zhili (now Hebei), born into a poor family. He graduated early from Zunhua School and later went to Japan, where he attempted but failed to enter an engineering school in Osaka. In 1911, he was admitted to the Zhili Higher Industrial School and later worked as a mechanic at the Dagukou Shipyard. Though holding a modest official position, Zhang was clever, articulate, and highly sociable, adept at forming friendships across age gaps with political elites and often moving among influential figures. He soon became Chief Inspector of the Tianjin Inland River Shipping Bureau, was promoted to Director in 1917, and later served as General Manager of the Beijing Telegraph Bureau and Supervisor of the Zhili-Shandong Telegraph Administration. He also held the title of member of the Zhili Provincial Assembly, which aided his later political career... Details+