Yesterday's Courtyard -- Nanjing Grand Mansion

Author: Jia Mengwei
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-01-01
Features: Most of the "grand houses" mentioned here are from the Republican era, such as Qi (Resting Lodge), Meiling Palace, and Marshall's "No. 5 Ninghai Road." The political role of these grand houses during the Republican era cannot be underestimated; they were places for high-ranking officials to negotiate, conspire, negotiate, curry favor, exert pressure, and lobby. The author describes not only the architecture of the grand houses but also the people who lived in them and the events that took place there.
Excerpt: Meiling Palace Meiling Palace can be considered one of the most magnificent official residences in Nanjing. In 1991, it was awarded the title of "Outstanding Modern Architecture" by the Ministry of Construction and the State Administration of Cultural Heritage. In 1992, it was listed as a protected cultural relic by Nanjing Municipal Government, and in July 2001, it was upgraded to a national key protected cultural relic——in Nanjing, among the official residences listed as national protected cultural relics, Meiling Palace is the only one. It is said that Soong Meiling "whispered in bed" for Chiang Kai-shek to formally propose to the Management Committee in the autumn of 1930 to "build a villa on the small red mountain in the" for Chiang Kai-shek and Soong Meiling to rest during their visits to the. The small red mountain is east of the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum, with lush forests and a serene environment, making it an ideal location for building a villa. On October 24, 1930, the Management Committee held its 24th meeting, presided over by Sun Ke, and resolved to "proceed accordingly." In the spring of 1931, the small red mountain villa was personally designed by Zhao Zhiyou, the Director of the Nanjing Municipal Government's Bureau of Public Works, with Chen Pinshan as the chief engineer. The initial budget for construction was 261,410 yuan. On March 7, Zhao Zhiyou wrote to the Management Committee: "The plan for the small red mountain villa by the President has been finalized by our bureau, and construction is urgently needed. All buildings within the site should be demolished first to facilitate the project. Please forward this letter to the security section of the committee, asking them to move some of the current security personnel residing in the small red mountain buildings immediately to facilitate demolition and construction." In the winter of 1931, the construction of the villa began in full swing, entrusted to Xinjinji (Kang Hao) Construction Company. The final cost of Meiling Palace far exceeded the budget, reaching 360,000 silver yuan, sparking much criticism and even leading to a temporary halt in construction. It was not until 1934 that the villa was finally completed.
After completion, Meiling Palace covered an area of 7.2 acres and had a construction area of over 2,000 square meters. Surrounded by lush greenery and fragrant flowers, it was a picturesque residence. The entrance was equipped with guard quarters, and upon entering, there was an oval-shaped ring road. The architectural design blended Chinese and Western styles. The main building stood atop the small red mountain, with a reinforced concrete frame and a shape resembling a "" (U-shaped) letter. The exteriored traditional Qing Dynasty palace architecture, towering and majestic, with a rich national character. The large tiled roofs of the Chinese palace-style building were covered with green glazed tiles, while the front and rear porches and the side eaves were also adorned with glazed tile , shimmering and dazzling under the sunlight. The walls were finished with modern techniques, using yellow facing bricks and rectangular steel windows, supported by stone bases. The surrounding platforms and railings were made of stone, while the interior featured exquisite wooden decorations and floral patterns.
From an aerial view, Meiling Palace resembled a pearl necklace with sapphire pendants. The winding mountain road leading to the main building was like a string of pearls, with the main building being the sapphire pendant. The green glazed tiles on the roof of the main building appeared blue from the air. This creative design is said to have been proposed by Soong Meiling, truly a stroke of genius.