The century-old mansion of a shipping magnate stands as a tribute to patriotism

Editor’s note:

Rome wasn’t built in a day. Neither was Shanghai. Once dubbed "the Paris of the East,” the city has evolved into a fusion of multiculturalism. Along the way, Shanghai has accumulated a repository of stories about the people and events that have shaped its history. Five areas of the city occupy pride of place in that journey: People’s Square, Jing’an Temple, Xujiahui, Lujiazui and Xintiandi. This series, a collaboration with Shanghai Local Chronicles Library, visits them all to follow in the footsteps of time.

A century-old mansion sits somewhat anomalously amid the iconic landscape of skyscrapers in the Lujiazui financial district — a reminder of a bygone era and a symbol of patriotism.

Built by industrialist Chen Guichun (1873-1925) as his personal residence, the mansion reflects not only his personal success and esthetic vision but also embodies his lifelong dedication to the welfare of his community.

Completed in the year of his death, Yingchuan Xiaozhu immediately stood out, with its elegant blend of Chinese and Western architecture. The residence was meticulously designed, with high brick walls and refined redwood beams. Its rooms were symmetrically laid out around open courtyards that created a peaceful oasis.

From the engraved scenes of the Chinese classic novel “Romance of the Three Kingdoms” on the beams to the 12 carved floral panels that symbolized each month of the year, Yingchuan Xiaozhu was an artistic statement reflecting Chen’s cultural pride and refined taste.

He named the mansion after his ancestral home in the area of Yingchuan in central China’s Henan Province, tying his legacy to a sense of heritage and familial roots.

Chen’s path to becoming one of Shanghai’s most respected philanthropists was neither straightforward nor easy. Born into a poor family, he faced hardships from an early age. Orphaned young and raised by his brother, he worked as a dock laborer before eventually entering the then bustling shipping industry.

Through grit and determination, he built a thriving shipping company that became a pivotal figure in the trade along the Huangpu River.

Yet, for him, personal success as a merchant was not an endpoint. With each step of his journey, he remained deeply connected to the struggles of ordinary people, developing a deep understanding of the city’s growing need for health and social infrastructure.

Perhaps his most enduring contribution was the establishment of Pudong’s first hospital, which is now Shanghai East Hospital, to address the area’s critical lack of health-care facilities. During that period, many residents in Pudong suffered from preventable diseases, such as cholera and typhoid. Appalled by their lack of health care, Chen led a campaign to build a modern hospital.

His friend, the renowned artist, poet and calligrapher Wu Changshuo (1844-1927), joined this cause, creating artwork to help raise funds for the medical facility.

Chen served as the hospital’s first director, overseeing its operations and ensuring that the hospital remained accessible to common people.

His beloved home Yingchuan Xiaozhu was yanked from its peaceful origins during the dark times of the Japanese invasion of Shanghai in the late 1930s. During the Japanese occupation, it was converted into a military outpost and prison, where resistance fighters were tortured and executed.

After World War II, with the onset of the Chinese civil war, the mansion again became a site of persecution under the Kuomintang government. Communist martyr Li Bai (1910-49) was once detained there.

Today, Yingchuan Xiaozhu stands as a symbol of the sacrifices of the patriots who fought for Shanghai’s liberation and China’s independence. It is preserved as a protected heritage site and houses the Wu Changshuo Memorial Hall.