How about stepping back to 1932 Shanghai? I will tell you the story of the \u6c99\u900a\u522b\u5885. It is a fascinating place with a unique history. The \u6c99\u900a\u522b\u5885 is located in Shanghai’s Changning District. Find it at 2409 Hongqiao Road. This villa covers 1225.44 square meters. It was built in 1932 by a British man named Sandison.
Sandison was a real estate tycoon in Shanghai. He wanted a private suburban villa. The \u6c99\u900a\u522b\u5885 was designed by a British architectural firm. Originally, the entrance was on Rubicon Road. Today, that’s known as HaMi Road.
The building space of \u6c99\u900a\u522b\u5885 is 800 square meters. Its architectural style is English rural villa. It is a western-style house with a pointed garden. The layout is irregular. The shapes are distinct but connected. The main building is set horizontally in the north. Servants’ rooms, kitchens, and furnace rooms are behind the main house. Garages, stables, and greenhouses are on the west side.
The main house faces south. It has a brick-wood structure. The east part is two stories high. The central and western parts are one story. A large platform marks the entrance. Inside is a corridor leading to a 200-square-meter hall. The dining room is east of the hall. The study is behind it. Bedrooms and living rooms are upstairs.
The interior is decorated with camphor and oak wood. The doors and windows use wood with special markings. They have rough axe marks. The metal fittings are handmade. This gives off a rustic vibe. The exposed timber frame supports the roof. The roof is sloped and covered with red tiles. The walls are light yellow. The colors are bright and elegant.
The villa is surrounded by greenery. Pine trees and cypress trees thrive here. There is a large lawn to the south. Two crape myrtle trees stand in the northwest corner of the lawn. A swing hangs beneath them. High walls surround the \u6c99\u900a\u522b\u5885.
During the Pacific War, the Japanese seized the \u6c99\u900a\u522b\u5885. After the war, Sandison reclaimed it. However, the unstable political situation led him to sell it in 1946. He sold it to Ningbo businessman Li Shu-xiong for $120,000. Li Shu-xiong turned it into a club. By the end of 1948, Li Shu-xiong moved to Hong Kong. The club closed.
After the establishment of the People’s Republic of China, the \u6c99\u900a\u522b\u5885 became property of the Shanghai Textile Bureau. It was used as a sanatorium for textile workers. In the 1980s, it became Building No. 1 of the Longbai Hotel.
In 1989, the \u6c99\u900a\u522b\u5885 was listed as a Shanghai Municipal Relics Protection Unit. It is also recognized as an outstanding modern building in Shanghai. Scenes from the movie “Red Lover” were filmed here.
Recently, the villa at 2409 Hongqiao Road was returned to Li Shu-xiong’s descendants. It remains Shanghai’s largest private garden residence. The \u6c99\u900a\u522b\u5885 stands as a testament to Shanghai’s rich history. It has gone through many changes. Today, it is a protected historical site and a reminder of a bygone era.