Former Consulate-General of the United Kingdom, Shanghai
Encyclopedia
The Former Consulate-General of the United Kingdom (英国驻上海总领事馆) building located in Shanghai
, China
, is one of the oldest buildings on The Bund
.
It is housed in a compound that housed a number of buildings used by the British Consulate-General.
The main building on the site appears to be one building but is in fact two buildings. The building that can be seen from the Bund is the former offices of the Consulate-General of the United Kingdom
, and the offices of the British Supreme Court for China and Japan
. The building and entrance that can be seen from Yuanmingyuan Road is the former court building of the British Supreme Court for China and Japan
. The main court was located on the second floor of this building. The photo to the right was taken from the north and prior to the renovations discussed below commencing. The office building is on the left and the court building is on the right.
Also located at the Northern end of the consular compound is the former residence of the consul-general. Until 2008, another building was located in the compound which was the vice-consul's house and then became the house of the Assistant Judge of the Supreme Court. This house was knocked down as part of the building of the Peninsula Hotel.
The Supreme Court building was completed in 1871 and the Consulate Office building, built in the Renaissance Revival, was completed in 1873. The total area of both buildings is 38,559 square meters.
The office building was completed in 1873 to replaced the previous consulate building that burnt down on 28 December 1870.
As the new Consulate was being built the North China Herald of 1 June 1872 reported on a foundation stone laying ceremony and described the building and offices :
"The new building is, we understand, to be rebuilt principally on the old foundations, and the outline of-the original building to be maintained; the style of architecture, however, being made to harmonise with that of the new Supreme Court building.
The rooms will of course be also rearranged, so that the Court offices may adjoin that building, and the Consulate offices be concentrated in the opposite wing. Thus, on the lower floor, south side, will be the public Court offices, and at the S. E. corner the Police Court; The Magistrate’s office will be in the centre with a fireproof room adjoining, for the safe custody of the legal records. And on the north side will be the Consular Shipping offices with another fire-proof room for the custody of the Consular records.
On the upper floor, south side, will the Judge’s offices, immediately above those of the Clerks; in the middle, immediately above the Magistrate will be the Consul’s office, and on the north side, above the Shipping offices, those of the Vice-Consul and the Consular staff.
The entrance to the building will be from either end of a passage running through it from north to south and from the centre of which will spring a stone staircase, branching to the right and left to the upper floor."
According to the same article, the foundation Stone that was laid read:
Foundation stone laid by Agnes Goodwin.
Sir Edmund Hornby Walther H Medhurst,
Kt, Chief Judge Consul
Charles W Goodwin Chaloner Albaster,
Asst. Judge Vice-Counsul
Robt. A Mowat
Law Secretary
Robert H. Boyce, Surveyor, H. M. Office of
Works, London, Architect"
The building served as the home of the Consulate-General and Supreme Court for China until 8 December 1941 when the Japanese occupied Shanghai at the beginning of the Pacific War. The Supreme Court for China was abolished under the British–Chinese Treaty for the Relinquishment of Extra-Territorial Rights in China. After the war, the Consulate-General returned to the site and remained until 1949 when Britain withdrew its consular staff with the communist occupation of Shanghai. The consulate re-opened in 1954 and was closed again in 1967 during the Cultural Revolution
.
In the early 1980s it was used as the site of the Friendship Store, a store for foreign tourists to buy Chinese products and then became the offices of various Shanghai government bodies. During the 1990s the building was abandoned and became very dilapidated. In the mid 2000s, the Shanghai government commenced a project to revitalise the Yuanmingyuan Road area, including the consulate.
The Building has now been fully restored, under the name No. 1 Waitanyuan and converted to a State Guest House managed by Hong Kong and Shanghai Hotels Group's 50% owned Shanghai Peninsula Hotel. It is now used for functions.
Photographs of the restored buildings (and some of the rooms pre-restoration) may be found at http://www.architecturelist.com/2011/01/10/park33-by-kokaistudios/.
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, is one of the oldest buildings on The Bund
The Bund
The Bund is a waterfront area in central Shanghai, People's Republic of China. The area centres on a section of Zhongshan Road within the former Shanghai International Settlement, which runs along the western bank of the Huangpu River, facing Pudong, in the eastern part of Huangpu District...
.
It is housed in a compound that housed a number of buildings used by the British Consulate-General.
The main building on the site appears to be one building but is in fact two buildings. The building that can be seen from the Bund is the former offices of the Consulate-General of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, and the offices of the British Supreme Court for China and Japan
British Supreme Court for China and Japan
The British Supreme Court for China and Japan was a court established in the Shanghai International Settlement in 1865 to try cases against British subjects in China and Japan, and from 1883, Korea, under the principles of Extraterritoriality. The court also heard appeals from consular courts in...
. The building and entrance that can be seen from Yuanmingyuan Road is the former court building of the British Supreme Court for China and Japan
British Supreme Court for China and Japan
The British Supreme Court for China and Japan was a court established in the Shanghai International Settlement in 1865 to try cases against British subjects in China and Japan, and from 1883, Korea, under the principles of Extraterritoriality. The court also heard appeals from consular courts in...
. The main court was located on the second floor of this building. The photo to the right was taken from the north and prior to the renovations discussed below commencing. The office building is on the left and the court building is on the right.
Also located at the Northern end of the consular compound is the former residence of the consul-general. Until 2008, another building was located in the compound which was the vice-consul's house and then became the house of the Assistant Judge of the Supreme Court. This house was knocked down as part of the building of the Peninsula Hotel.
The Supreme Court building was completed in 1871 and the Consulate Office building, built in the Renaissance Revival, was completed in 1873. The total area of both buildings is 38,559 square meters.
The office building was completed in 1873 to replaced the previous consulate building that burnt down on 28 December 1870.
As the new Consulate was being built the North China Herald of 1 June 1872 reported on a foundation stone laying ceremony and described the building and offices :
"The new building is, we understand, to be rebuilt principally on the old foundations, and the outline of-the original building to be maintained; the style of architecture, however, being made to harmonise with that of the new Supreme Court building.
The rooms will of course be also rearranged, so that the Court offices may adjoin that building, and the Consulate offices be concentrated in the opposite wing. Thus, on the lower floor, south side, will be the public Court offices, and at the S. E. corner the Police Court; The Magistrate’s office will be in the centre with a fireproof room adjoining, for the safe custody of the legal records. And on the north side will be the Consular Shipping offices with another fire-proof room for the custody of the Consular records.
On the upper floor, south side, will the Judge’s offices, immediately above those of the Clerks; in the middle, immediately above the Magistrate will be the Consul’s office, and on the north side, above the Shipping offices, those of the Vice-Consul and the Consular staff.
The entrance to the building will be from either end of a passage running through it from north to south and from the centre of which will spring a stone staircase, branching to the right and left to the upper floor."
According to the same article, the foundation Stone that was laid read:
Foundation stone laid by Agnes Goodwin.
Sir Edmund Hornby Walther H Medhurst,
Kt, Chief Judge Consul
Charles W Goodwin Chaloner Albaster,
Asst. Judge Vice-Counsul
Robt. A Mowat
Law Secretary
Robert H. Boyce, Surveyor, H. M. Office of
Works, London, Architect"
The building served as the home of the Consulate-General and Supreme Court for China until 8 December 1941 when the Japanese occupied Shanghai at the beginning of the Pacific War. The Supreme Court for China was abolished under the British–Chinese Treaty for the Relinquishment of Extra-Territorial Rights in China. After the war, the Consulate-General returned to the site and remained until 1949 when Britain withdrew its consular staff with the communist occupation of Shanghai. The consulate re-opened in 1954 and was closed again in 1967 during the Cultural Revolution
Cultural Revolution
The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, commonly known as the Cultural Revolution , was a socio-political movement that took place in the People's Republic of China from 1966 through 1976...
.
In the early 1980s it was used as the site of the Friendship Store, a store for foreign tourists to buy Chinese products and then became the offices of various Shanghai government bodies. During the 1990s the building was abandoned and became very dilapidated. In the mid 2000s, the Shanghai government commenced a project to revitalise the Yuanmingyuan Road area, including the consulate.
The Building has now been fully restored, under the name No. 1 Waitanyuan and converted to a State Guest House managed by Hong Kong and Shanghai Hotels Group's 50% owned Shanghai Peninsula Hotel. It is now used for functions.
Photographs of the restored buildings (and some of the rooms pre-restoration) may be found at http://www.architecturelist.com/2011/01/10/park33-by-kokaistudios/.