Former Residence of Liu Jisheng

　　The residence at 675 Julu Road is a false four-story building with a brick-concrete structure, covering a construction area of 1,666.5 square meters. It was originally the residence of Liu Jisheng, a famous entrepreneur in Shanghai, and now houses the Shanghai Writers' Association.

　　This building is a classical garden residence in the Renaissance style, designed by the renowned Hungarian architect László Hudec in Shanghai. Hudec spent nearly 30 years in Shanghai, designing many notable residential buildings such as the Xieqiaolong Residence (Mai Family Garden), the Wu Tongwen Residence, and the Sun Ke Residence. After the design of this particular residence, the owner Liu Jisheng also hired Tao Guilin, a friend of Hudec and the owner of the Tao Fuji Construction Company (who was also the builder of the famous Park Hotel in Shanghai, an expert in the construction industry), to carry out the construction. Their collaboration in design and construction was truly seamless, adding brilliance to this residence.

　　The Liu Family Garden Residence was built in 1931 and is a grand and solemn building modeled after classical European Greek architecture. Greece is the birthplace of European culture, and ancient Greek architecture pioneered European architectural styles. Its structural system is based on posts and lintels, with early major constructions primarily using stone—walls were built from finely cut and tightly jointed stone blocks. Although Greek architectural forms varied little and interior spaces were relatively enclosed and simple, many later architectural styles drew inspiration from Greek architecture, especially the columnar system, which was a creative contribution of the ancient Greeks to architectural art.

　　This residence has the grandeur of a palace, with exemplary form and column styles. It was designed based on the story of Cupid and Psyche from Greek mythology, hence it is also known as the "Garden of Love." The designer infused elegance and charm into the solemn architecture, particularly with the two-story-high Ionic portico featuring fluted columns that spans the south facade, and a bluestone platform designed between the ground floor entrance and the columns. The second floor features an open semicircular balcony with ornate cast iron railings, standing out as particularly striking and luxurious, showcasing a light, graceful feminine beauty. The floor plan is functionally arranged with a large central hall flanked by side rooms, with symmetrical facades divided into three sections. The south facade, apart from the portico, uses exposed brick walls, with some parts of the upper floor covered in white plaster. Window decorations include flat arches, round arches, and triangular shapes, and there are sawtooth moldings under the eaves. Other features include a Western-style hall inlaid with stained glass, a grand hall with a large crystal chandelier, a uniquely curved staircase, and majestic massive columns—all exquisite details of the residence.

　　The south portico serves as the main entrance to the residence, featuring a triple-arched gateway. Inside is a spacious main hall, where the Liu family hosted large banquets or balls. The ceiling of the main hall is exceptionally beautiful—so much so that many foreigners have looked up in astonishment, exclaiming that they had never seen such a beautiful ceiling. To the east is the living room, and to the west is the dining room, both equipped with kitchens and bathrooms for convenience. The entire ground floor is fully functional, well laid out, and set in a pleasant environment. The second floor contains bedrooms, living areas, and a study, while the third floor consists of bedrooms and storage rooms among other practical spaces.

　　The residence is fully equipped with supporting facilities and offers a highly secure living environment, including a boiler room and a central heating system that provides both heating and hot water. Each floor has two bathrooms with complete sanitary fixtures. The Liu family’s servants lived in the auxiliary building facing the street to the north, which also housed the garage. The large garden includes flower stands, tree stands, and lawns, interspersed with ornamental stones such as stalagmites and Taihu rocks, blending harmoniously with the plants to create a unique landscape. Additionally, the garden features facilities such as a tennis court and greenhouse, while garden ornaments like fountains, grape trellises, and stone benches further enhance the refined character of the residence.

　　In front of the residence stands the Psyche Fountain, located on the central axis of the garden and serving as the soul of the entire space. Shaped like a butterfly, the fountain has a central column supporting a basin, upon which rests the statue of Psyche. At Psyche’s feet are four cherubs and four fish. Some cherubs are riding on the fish or embracing them, while water from the fish’s mouths sprays onto the statue before falling into the basin and then into the pool. Around the pool are four lifelike stone frogs. The cherub statues are life-sized, lively, and adorable. The entire sculpture is made of white marble, with delicate and modern-looking facial features, exuding rhythm and movement that convey an intoxicating beauty. Hudec himself funded the creation of this statue in Italy as a gift to the Liu family. The renowned architect wanted to thank Liu Jisheng for giving him the opportunity to realize his dream—using the story of Psyche to create a model of garden architecture. The Liu family garden fulfilled his long-held vision and pursuit, which he considered a destined mission in his architectural career.

　　The concept of this “Garden of Love” is related to the famous painting “Psyche Bathing” by the British academic painter Frederic Leighton. In this painting, Leighton captures the moment when Psyche is removing her sheer gown in preparation for a bath, looking back with her arm raised, standing gracefully. The figure displays the artist’s unique imagination. Many key details of the Liu family garden can be found in Leighton’s painting, such as the Ionic columns, steps, pool, golden capitals, and even stone paths of similar width. The perfect image of Psyche in Leighton’s painting represents the ideal beauty that Hudec sought.

　　This perfectly designed residential building has withstood over 70 years of wind and rain and still stands proudly today. Two generations of owners have stood the test of time, preserving and maintaining this classic European building for Shanghai, a modern international city.

　　The owner, Liu Jisheng, was born in November 1889 in Dinghai, Zhejiang (now Zhoushan), and was a dropout from St. John’s University in Shanghai. He was the younger brother of Liu Hongsheng, a famous patriotic industrialist in old Shanghai. Led by Liu Hongsheng, the Liu family enterprise group, along with the Rong family’s cotton textile group, the Guo family’s Yongan group, and the Jian family’s Nanyang Tobacco group, were known as the “Four Greats” of the industrial and commercial world in old Shanghai and China. Liu Hongsheng was known as the “King of Coal,” “King of Matches,” and “King of Cement.”

　　At the age of 18, Liu Hongsheng first worked as a salesman for the British-owned Kaiping Mining Company, and was later appointed as the company’s No. 1 comprador in Shanghai. Thereafter, Liu Hongsheng, together with his younger brother Liu Jisheng, traveled across cities and rural areas such as Nantong, Jiangyin, Nanjing, Wuhu, Suzhou, Zhenjiang, and Yixing to establish coal businesses, even going down into individual lime kilns to promote the benefits of using coal instead of firewood—achieving great success and monopolizing the coal market across the lower Yangtze River and along the Beijing-Shanghai corridor. From then on, coal sales skyrocketed, reaching up to 2.5 million tons in the peak year, bringing the Liu brothers an average annual income of over 200,000 yuan. Within less than 10 years, Liu Hongsheng, who was not yet 30 years old, became a wealthy and famous figure in Shanghai during the 1920s. Liu Jisheng was his elder brother’s right-hand man during the initial coal business ventures. Over the next decade, Liu Hongsheng also realized his ambition of creating a match industry trust, founding enterprises such as East China Coal Mine, Shanghai Cement Factory, Zhanghua Woolen Mill, Huafeng Enamel Factory, and opening businesses like China Wharf. Liu Jisheng held shares in almost all of these enterprises and was appointed by his brother as the Executive Director and General Manager of the Bank of China Enterprises, which managed the financial lifeline of the Liu family enterprises. He also served as Chairman of the Hong Kong Match Factory, a board member of Peicheng Girls’ School, and a director of more than ten companies including Great China Match Company and Shanghai Cement Company. This illustrates the close relationship between the two brothers and the pivotal role Liu Jisheng played within the Liu Group.

　　In 1947, the Liu family moved to Hong Kong, leaving only their second daughter, Liu Lianzhi, to look after the house. Liu Jisheng passed away in Hong Kong on October 8, 1962. In 1952, the Liu residence was taken over by the real estate department and later converted into the Shanghai Writers' Association. In 1999, the building was listed as a protected unit of outstanding modern architecture in Shanghai.

　　

　　Liu Jisheng (1889~1962)　　Liu Jisheng, a native of Dinghai, Zhejiang (now Zhoushan), was born on November 19, 1889, and was the younger brother of Liu Hongsheng, a famous patriotic industrialist of the Republican era. During the late Qing Dynasty, the first-generation immigrant of the Liu family, Liu Weizhong, established an entertainment business in the Shanghai concession, laying the foundation for the family’s development. The second generation, Liu Xianxi, served as a comprador for the China Merchants Steam Navigation Company and enjoyed a relatively comfortable middle-class life. The third generation, represented by Liu Hongsheng and Liu Jisheng, wrote the most glorious chapter in the family’s entrepreneurial history, elevating the Liu family to become one of the few prestigious and wealthy clans in Shanghai. Both Liu Hongsheng and Liu Jisheng attended the prestigious missionary university in Shanghai—St. John’s University—where they excelled academically and demonstrated intelligence... Details+