Will You Look At That: 2010-11-14

Saturday, November 20, 2010

House of Shen: a new chapter in the sad saga.

House of Shen: a new chapter in the sad saga., originally uploaded by avezink.

"As most of you know, I've been following the imminent destruction of the House of Shen. It is a 150-old residence built by the sea merchant Shen Yisheng (one of the ‘Big Four’) and expanded by the real estate magnate Yan Tongchun. For the last three years, the house has been ransacked and demolished bit by bit.

The sprawling tripartite courtyard at 213 Wangjiamatou Lu is an inimitable mix of Western and Chinese architecture, with details characteristic of Shen at the time of construction and the next owner, Yan Tongchun, at the time of refitting. The orthodox gated entrance faces east, to the sea; stone balcony railings resemble the ship’s helms. The wooden ornamentation in the front courtyard is highly articulated and well-preserved (where the scavengers haven’t torn it off).

The western wing added later by Yan has the feel of a western mansion: stylish wooden balustrades, tiled floors and an arched Mediterranean gallery. By now, all of the assets of the House of Shen might well be described in the past tense, as no articles , proposals or pleas seem able to stop the impending demolition. A few days we met the greatest fan of this building: its long-time resident, Mr, Zhang.

Mr. Zhang and his brother are the last tenants of the House of Shen: in fact, they were born there. Before Liberation, their father was a driver to Shanghai business elite; Zhang says his dad’s clients included mega-gangster Du Yuesheng and several American industrialists. So, the mafia chauffeur had an apartment in the Yan-owned mansion and his sons have lived here all their lives.

During the Cultural Revolution the Zhangs were attacked for their bourgeois origin. The brothers had to lie low and quietly watch the underclass move into their house. Immediately, the new tenants started to break off the ornaments and steal the antiques.

Mr. Zhang’s hard drive is full of pictures of his house: his wife photographed every detail of the mansion a few years ago, soon after the demolition began. These days, Mr. Zhang lives in two rooms filled with exuberant Republican furniture inherited from his dad. Vacated rooms are missing floors or ceilings. A large part of the mansion was turned to rubble in 2010.

Using his disability card, Mr. Zhang has been able to keep the water and electricity from being cut off. He likes to think the government has no power over him: after all, the house is all he has; his daughter lives in the US. But the Zhangs are not safe. At night, scavengers sneak in and break off precious ornaments. During the day, developer-sent bullies come and threaten the Zhangs. They want the brothers out, and the House of Shen to disappear."