Former Residence of Cai Chengxun

　　   Situated on Singapore Road in the former British Concession, also known as 33rd Road (now No. 1 Dali Road, Heping District), it was once the residence and ancestral hall of Cai Chengxun. This building is a mansion-style structure featuring an architectural style that blends Chinese and Western elements. The compound is spacious, enclosed by tall and wide walls, with a vermilion gate exuding a sense of luxury and solemnity. The main building in the courtyard, serving as the residence, is a three-story brick-and-wood Western-style structure in the French Romanesque style. It covers a construction area of 2,100 square meters, with symmetrical designs on both sides of the main entrance. The exterior walls are made of blue bricks, adorned with white window lintels, and the third floor is equipped with a platform extending beyond the eaves.

　　   The interior decoration of the main building also combines both Chinese and Western characteristics. The interior features large open spaces, with each room serving different functions, all featuring hardwood floors and wainscoting, and the staircase is also made of hardwood. Among these, the partition walls on the first floor have intricately carved redwood floor-to-ceiling screens in the style of moon gates, considered rare masterpieces of fine craftsmanship. The overall impression upon entering the building is one of elegance, nobility, luxury, and comfort. To the west of the main building stands a row of single-story buildings in the style of traditional Chinese temples, which remain well-preserved to this day (currently within the Tianjin Medical Emergency Center). These structures served as the ancestral hall built by Cai Chengxun for ancestor worship. Initially, they shared the same courtyard with the main building, but after the liberation, a wall separated them into two distinct areas. Additionally, there used to be temple-style architecture to the east of the main building, but it was gradually demolished before 1988 and replaced by a modern scientific research office building.

　　Cai Chengxun (1871~1946)　　   Cai Chengxun (1871–1946), courtesy name Huchen, was a military man from Tianjin County, Zhili. He graduated from the Beiyang Military Academy in 1900. In 1912, he was promoted to commander of the First Army Division. After Feng Guozhang acted as provisional president in Nanjing in 1917, Cai was appointed as the military governor of the Suiyuan Special Region, becoming a key figure of the Zhili clique. On May 14, 1921, when Jin Yunpeng officially became Premier and formed his cabinet, Cai Chengxun served as Minister of War until he was replaced by Bao Guiqing on December 25, 1921. On June 15, 1922, following orders from Cao Kun, Cai Chengxun led his troops to take over from Jiangxi Military Governor Chen Guangyuan, assuming control over the province’s military forces, and on September 2 of that year officially... Details+