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Where homes, history, elephants and bulls are neighbors
June 4, 2009, Thursday
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THE aged buildings, the luxuriant phoenix trees and the weather-beaten walls on Beishan Road all help tell some colorful stories from the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China. Tan Weiyun wanders along this street of memories.
Winding along the northern side of the West Lake, Beishan Road, lined with old villas and stone houses, was once home to old China's political figures, literary giants and art masters.
Walking along Beishan Road is a dream of history. The aged buildings, the luxuriant phoenix trees, the weather-beaten walls tell colorful stories of old times from the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and the Republic of China. Take a stroll on the road and you will feel as if you were getting back to those interesting days.
At the eastern end, a stone villa sits quietly on a small hill. Though humble-looking from outside, the building was once the residence of the then highest official, Chen Yi (1883-1950), who was the governor of Zhejiang Province.
The patriotic Kuomintang leader changed his allegiance to the Communist Party before the foundation of the People's Republic of China, but was betrayed by his student Tang Enbo. Chen wound up being executed in Taiwan.
Today the two-story European-style building has been turned into the Zhejiang Province Tourism Bureau.
Jingyi Villa on Geling Hill behind Beishan Road was once home to another Zhejiang governor, Zhang Jingjiang (1876-1950), who initiated the first West Lake Expo held in 1929.
The man was nicknamed Kuomintang's God of Wealth as he donated a lot to the party. He generously financed Sun Yat-sen's revolutionary activities.
He was so rich (actually the richest man in Wuhu, Zhejiang Province) that Beishan Road was once called Jingjiang Road.
Built in 1920s, the villa is designed in a typically Western style. Just past the modest gate is the living quarters for the servants. A pair of stone lions sit in silence, like intimidating visitors, awaiting their powerful host.
Actually, the villa is made up of two separate parts, one for his wife and the other for his concubine, a clever but expensive way to prevent the two women fighting with each other.
Today, the Xiling Seal Engraving Society uses the villa as a storehouse to display national treasures.
In old China, the elephant and the bull were the two animals that symbolized wealth. People owning 5 million yuan (US$731,904) or more was "an elephant" and over 10 million yuan was a "bull."
Zhang was an elephant, but in Hangzhou he only ranked second. The first place one went to the Liu family, who owned the Jianpao Villa just next to the Jingyi Villa.
Liu's family had another important property on Beishan Road, the famed Guyun Villa, today's Xinxin Hotel. The three-story Roman-style building with an arc-shaped roof was a landmark on Beishan Road. People could see it from the other side of the West Lake. The villa was once the residence of another Zhejiang governor Zhu Jiajun (1893-1963).
When there is an elephant, there is often a bull. The owner of Baoqing Villa Xing Gengxin was such a bull.
As a successful silk merchant, Xing had a great zest for Western fashions and the villa has a strong baroque style with colonnades and domes.
Though it has a European style, the building has a Chinese heart. From the wooden carved beams, vermilion painted posts and traditional grey tiles, the villa's architect was definitely an expert at straddling Western and Chinese building cultures.
It served as the fourth assembly hall of the Industry Hall of the West Lake Expo in 1929.
In 1993, the villa was renovated into the Geling Hotel and now it has become a famous high-end restaurant offering original Hangzhou cuisine.
Going further west along Beishan Road, you'll find more, such as the residence of Zhao Wuji (a Chinese-French painter) at No. 84, Chunrun Villa at No. 55 built by Song Chunfang (1892-1938), a theater scholar and French literary expert in the early days of modern China. And there is No. 94, the Sui Villa built in 1920s by Bao Boling, a Guangdong Province businessman.
With so many buildings of historical value, Beishan Road has been listed as one of the city's areas of cultural heritage and is protected.
1. Suilu Villa
94 Beishan Rd
2. Zhao wuji's former residence
84 Beishan Rd
3. Guyun villa
58-68 Beishan Rd
4. chunrun villa
54 Beishan Rd
5. PUti Jingshe
44-50 Beishan Rd
6. wang Xiaoce's former residence
43 Beishan Rd
7. Baoqing villa
40 Beishan Rd
8. qiushui villa
38 Beishan Rd
9. Jianpao villa
33 Beishan Rd
10. chiang Ching-kuo's former residence
1 Broken Bridge
Winding along the northern side of the West Lake, Beishan Road, lined with old villas and stone houses, was once home to old China's political figures, literary giants and art masters.
Walking along Beishan Road is a dream of history. The aged buildings, the luxuriant phoenix trees, the weather-beaten walls tell colorful stories of old times from the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and the Republic of China. Take a stroll on the road and you will feel as if you were getting back to those interesting days.
At the eastern end, a stone villa sits quietly on a small hill. Though humble-looking from outside, the building was once the residence of the then highest official, Chen Yi (1883-1950), who was the governor of Zhejiang Province.
The patriotic Kuomintang leader changed his allegiance to the Communist Party before the foundation of the People's Republic of China, but was betrayed by his student Tang Enbo. Chen wound up being executed in Taiwan.
Today the two-story European-style building has been turned into the Zhejiang Province Tourism Bureau.
Jingyi Villa on Geling Hill behind Beishan Road was once home to another Zhejiang governor, Zhang Jingjiang (1876-1950), who initiated the first West Lake Expo held in 1929.
The man was nicknamed Kuomintang's God of Wealth as he donated a lot to the party. He generously financed Sun Yat-sen's revolutionary activities.
He was so rich (actually the richest man in Wuhu, Zhejiang Province) that Beishan Road was once called Jingjiang Road.
Built in 1920s, the villa is designed in a typically Western style. Just past the modest gate is the living quarters for the servants. A pair of stone lions sit in silence, like intimidating visitors, awaiting their powerful host.
Actually, the villa is made up of two separate parts, one for his wife and the other for his concubine, a clever but expensive way to prevent the two women fighting with each other.
Today, the Xiling Seal Engraving Society uses the villa as a storehouse to display national treasures.
In old China, the elephant and the bull were the two animals that symbolized wealth. People owning 5 million yuan (US$731,904) or more was "an elephant" and over 10 million yuan was a "bull."
Zhang was an elephant, but in Hangzhou he only ranked second. The first place one went to the Liu family, who owned the Jianpao Villa just next to the Jingyi Villa.
Liu's family had another important property on Beishan Road, the famed Guyun Villa, today's Xinxin Hotel. The three-story Roman-style building with an arc-shaped roof was a landmark on Beishan Road. People could see it from the other side of the West Lake. The villa was once the residence of another Zhejiang governor Zhu Jiajun (1893-1963).
When there is an elephant, there is often a bull. The owner of Baoqing Villa Xing Gengxin was such a bull.
As a successful silk merchant, Xing had a great zest for Western fashions and the villa has a strong baroque style with colonnades and domes.
Though it has a European style, the building has a Chinese heart. From the wooden carved beams, vermilion painted posts and traditional grey tiles, the villa's architect was definitely an expert at straddling Western and Chinese building cultures.
It served as the fourth assembly hall of the Industry Hall of the West Lake Expo in 1929.
In 1993, the villa was renovated into the Geling Hotel and now it has become a famous high-end restaurant offering original Hangzhou cuisine.
Going further west along Beishan Road, you'll find more, such as the residence of Zhao Wuji (a Chinese-French painter) at No. 84, Chunrun Villa at No. 55 built by Song Chunfang (1892-1938), a theater scholar and French literary expert in the early days of modern China. And there is No. 94, the Sui Villa built in 1920s by Bao Boling, a Guangdong Province businessman.
With so many buildings of historical value, Beishan Road has been listed as one of the city's areas of cultural heritage and is protected.
1. Suilu Villa
94 Beishan Rd
2. Zhao wuji's former residence
84 Beishan Rd
3. Guyun villa
58-68 Beishan Rd
4. chunrun villa
54 Beishan Rd
5. PUti Jingshe
44-50 Beishan Rd
6. wang Xiaoce's former residence
43 Beishan Rd
7. Baoqing villa
40 Beishan Rd
8. qiushui villa
38 Beishan Rd
9. Jianpao villa
33 Beishan Rd
10. chiang Ching-kuo's former residence
1 Broken Bridge
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