The Residence of Sheng Enyi

　　After Shanghai opened as a treaty port, the concessions underwent over half a century of development, and by the early 20th century had taken initial shape as a modern urban center. At No. 540 Wanhangdu Road near Jing’an Temple, an early-style veranda garden house built by Europeans in China emerged, owned by Sheng Enyi, son of Sheng Xuanhuai — the late 19th-century Qing Dynasty Minister of Posts and Communications.

　　Colonial veranda-style garden houses, referred to simply as veranda-style or colonial-style, originated as “a building form created by Westerners in their colonies in India and Southeast Asia... originally designed to adapt to tropical climates.”

　　Shanghai’s colonial veranda-style architecture was mainly influenced by British Georgian and Victorian architectural styles, characterized by orderly columned verandas on facades, evolving into some structures still standing today — such as this residence, which showcases the High Victorian era’s Neo-Renaissance style. Its exterior features continuous semi-circular arches as the main compositional element, emphasizing proportion and simplicity to achieve a clean yet orderly façade. The walls are finished with stucco, adorned with minimal decoration. The floor plan is a simple square box, topped by a gently sloping roof covered with small blue tiles. The second floor has flat arch or arched window frames, with the cornices and arch moldings reflecting authentic Western architectural characteristics.

　　The garden is located at the southeast corner of the building. A newly built rainbow-style wooden bridge spans both sides of a stream, with large river stones piled near the water’s edge, while dense, tall trees in the distance provide ample shade, creating a peaceful resting space.

　　

　　Sheng Enyi (1892~1958)　　Sheng Enyi (1892–1958), from Wujin, Jiangsu Province, styled himself Zecheng. After studying at the University of London and Columbia University in the United States, he returned to inherit his father Sheng Xuanhuai’s business empire. He served successively as Director of the Tianjin–Pukou Railway Bureau, General Manager of the Han-Ye-Ping Company, General Manager and Chairman of Fengsheng Industrial Company, Manager of Sanxin Textile Mill, and Manager of the Bank of China. During the Anti-Japanese War, he established the Hongji Shan Tang in Shanghai, facilitating the sale of opium for the Japanese, and also served as Executive Director of the Japanese-operated Central China Water and Electricity Company. Biography Sheng Enyi was the most favored son of Sheng Xuanhuai, even having been given his name by Empress Dowager Cixi. Sheng Xuanhuai gave him the residence of the Lingering Garden in Suzhou.... Details+