The Former Residence of Zhang Jingjiang in Nanxun

Zhang Jingjiang (1877-1950) was one of the greatest founding fathers of the Republic of China (1911-1949). Dr. Sun Yat-sen, generally regarded as the father of the 1911 Revolution and the Republic of China, described him as the perfect marvel of China. Chiang Kai-shek, the ruler of the republic for decades, held him as benefactor and mentor. Mao Zedong spoke highly of Zhang as a man with sharp business acumen.

Zhang Jingjiang opened his family purse to support Dr. Sun Yat-sen and Chiang Kai-shek. The Zhang Family in Nanxun was one of the wealthiest families of China in the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). After Shanghai opened to international trade in November 1843 after the Opium War, silk traders in Nanxun made fortunes out of exporting silk to overseas markets. The small river town in northern Zhejiang was where part of the silk fortunes became architectures. What is now known as the former residence of Zhang Jingjiang was actually a large residential compound of the Zhang family, situated in the east end of East Street of Nanxun. The family’s former residence that can be seen today is only one tenth of the previous large compound, which was largely damaged in the 1930s during the wartime.

The magnificent residence was built by Zhang Jingjiang’s grandfather during the 13-year reign (1861-1874) of Emperor Tongzhi of the Qing Dynasty. The residence combined the western and Chinese architectural styles. After the founding of the new China in 1949, the residence was left forgotten. During the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976), the residence was sold to a business company based in Shanghai and was used as a warehouse for tea storage. In the early 1990s, the residence was bought back by the government of Nanxun Town. After a refurbishment project, it opened to the public.

A project started in March 2011 to refurbish what remained of the large residence. The project ended in early October 2011. The existing part is the left part of the previous residence. It has three rows of houses. The second and third halls now house an exhibition on Zhang Jingjiang and his high profile political activities before and after the founding of the Republic of China (1911-1949).

The exhibition, divided into five sections, relates the legend of Zhang Jingjiang. He was an activist and business tycoon, playing a big role in the history of the republic and the Kuomintang by dedicating the family fortune to the revolution. He was a high-profile activist in economic development of the early years of the republic. He embraced the idea of revitalizing China with business development. He championed the West Lake Expo in 1929 in Hangzhou.

His historical position is testified by a wide range of exhibits on display. These include letters from big names of the Republican years such as Dr. Sun Yat-sen, Song Qingling, Feng Yuxiang, He Xiangning, Yu Youren, Chen Bulei and Chiang Kai-shek. In the halls are a number of inscriptions featuring scholars of national renown before and after the collapse of the Qing Dynasty.

The residence has become a big tourist attraction in Nanxun. Visitors come to know the legendary figure as well as the legendary wealth of the family.