Former Residence of Xu Shichang

　　The former residence of Xu Shichang is located at No. 255 Xinhua South Road, Heping District. The entire residential complex consists of nine buildings with a total of 181 rooms and a construction area of 4,347 square meters. Although these nine buildings are constructed on the same property, they function as independent units — one was occupied by the Xu family, while the others were used by relatives. The residence of the Xu family itself is a standalone compound covering an area of 6.35 mu (approximately 0.42 hectares), with 26 rooms in the main building and 4 rooms in the auxiliary buildings, totaling a construction area of 1,085 square meters. It is a three-story Western-style building with a mixed structure and red brick tile roof. The entrance to the building features four steps leading up to a platform, surfaced with red ceramic bricks. The first floor includes a living room, lounge, dressing room, dining room, and bathroom; the second floor houses bedrooms, a study, office, and inner parlor; the third floor contains attic rooms. This former residence is currently used by the Tianjin Municipal Education Commission and has been listed as an immovable cultural relic in Tianjin that has not yet been officially designated as a protected historical site.

　　Xu Shichang (1855~1939)　　Xu Shichang (October 24, 1855 – June 5, 1939) was born in Henan in 1855. He passed the imperial examination as a provincial degree holder in the late Qing Dynasty and later became a presented scholar (Jinshi). From the time Yuan Shikai trained troops at Xiaozhan, Xu served as his strategist and ally — one handling civil affairs, the other military, both sharing the same vision. In 1905, he once served as a Grand Councilor. Deep-thinking and far-sighted, Xu earned high regard from Yuan Shikai. However, he also managed to maintain a certain distance from Yuan, knowing when to advance and when to withdraw. When Yuan declared himself emperor, Xu distanced himself through silence. On September 4, 1918, Xu Shichang was elected President of the Republic of China and resigned in June 1922 via a public telegram. After resigning from the presidency, he repeatedly refused overtures from the Japanese and would not take up any puppet government positions. Xu Shichang was among the first... Details+