Shenyang was the hometown of an (in)famous historical person from China’s Republican period, Zhang Xueliang (Chang Hsueh-liang). He is famous for having contributed to the unity of China in the 1920s and 1930s. His infamy stems from his involvement in the Xian Incident of 1936. After that, he was kept under house arrest for 54 years, and died in Hawaii in 2001, at the age of 100.
His house in Shenyang is now a museum. His father (also a warlord) built it in the early 1920s. The compound consists of several buildings, a traditional Chinese house and a Romanesque mansion that served as residence and office building. It’s a fantastic combination of traditional and modern architecture.
When you first enter the compound, you enter the Chinese residence, which is a top-rate example of traditional Chinese architecture.
Inside the outer wall
Facing the main entrance
One of the three inner courts
From the inner courts, you can see the mansion on the other side of the compound.
The western-style building was a government office and residence.
The “Tiger Hall,” a reception room.
Banquet Hall
Office (1)
Office (2)
Office (3)
This was a very interesting historical artifact. This is a meeting room. Between the flags is a portrait of Sun Yat-sen. The flag on the right is the national flag of the Republic of China. The flag on the left is the flag of the Nationalist party (Kuomintang). Both are common sights in Taiwan, but are anathema in China, because they represent the government of Taiwan.
There is a lot more to the site, but my camera battery ran out before I saw everything. I will have to make another trip to the site.