Tang Yulin’s Former Residence in Tianjin

　　The former residence of Tang Yulin is located at No. 38 Minzhu Road, Hebei District. This is a majestic and richly adorned Italian-style structure, originally built in 1922 by Wu Yulin, then Minister of Communications of the Beiyang Government, and sold to Tang Yulin in 1930. The mansion boasts an imposing exterior as a three-story brick-concrete building with a basement. Its overall design highlights features and styles from the Italian Renaissance period, with both interior and exterior walls showcasing elaborate Baroque decorations, embodying classic Western European architectural characteristics. The residence includes 55 rooms across multiple floors and 7 single-story rooms, covering a land area of 4,323.61 square meters and a total construction area of 3,341.69 square meters. To the right is the main three-story building with a basement; the front façade of the ground floor is made of imitation granite blocks with deep wide joints. The large front terrace of the building includes a driveway for cars. The entrance gate is a round arch, flanked by rectangular windows topped with circular ones. The front entrance leads to a high staircase that opens into the foyer, surrounded on three sides by open corridors. Behind the foyer lies the central hall, flanked by two large sitting rooms on the east and west sides, separated in the middle by four Ionic columns. To the north of the hall are a reception room, as well as a conference room, study, offices, bedrooms, bathrooms, and more. The front façade of the second floor centers around three connected arcades supported by composite columns, with a balcony featuring balustrades adorned with bottle-shaped ornaments at the front. On either side of the arcades are square pilasters supporting the eaves, with rectangular windows between them. The central section of the eaves wall features Rococo-style carvings, while the pilasters are engraved with double bull-leg motifs. The upper part of the eaves is decorated with square vase-shaped balustrades. Inside the second floor, the center also consists of a large hall, with adjacent rooms serving as meeting rooms, bedrooms, bathrooms, etc., all surrounded by open corridors. The third floor has two large central rooms adorned with exquisitely decorated columns, encircled by a large terrace. The semi-basement houses the kitchen, storage rooms, and servants’ quarters. On either side of the main building are additional single-story dance halls with stained glass ceilings. In front of them lie large terraces, each with an entrance hall and guest waiting room.

　　Tang Yulin’s former residence is now used by the Tianjin Administration for Industry and Commerce.

　　Tang Yulin (1871–1937)　　Tang Yulin (1871–1937), styled Gegchen and nicknamed "Tang the Tiger," had a particular fondness for tigers—his luxurious reception room featured a large painting of a “Fierce Tiger Descending the Mountain,” and he often sat on a sofa covered with tiger skin. Originally from Yexian County, Shandong Province, he was born in Fuxin, Liaoning, and came from a background in the outlaw community. In 1902, he was incorporated into the Qing army as a patrol officer and assistant commander of the Forward Detachment in Fengtian. In 1912, he was appointed as the commander of the 27th Cavalry Regiment of the 27th Division, and was promoted to brigade commander of the 52nd Brigade the following year. In 1917, he went to Beijing to participate in Zhang Xun’s restoration movement, but fled back to Fuxin to live in seclusion after its failure. In 1919, he returned to Fengtian and served as a lieutenant general advisor at the office of the Viceroy of the Three Eastern Provinces. 192......   More+