Shizhong Building

Built in 1930 and also known as Yiyuan Garden, the Shizhong Building derived its name from its appearance as a Western chime clock. The Filipino overseas Chinese Yang Pihe purchased the building in 1933 and left it to Mr. Cai for management. After the liberation in 1949, the building was used to open Kulangsu Yanping Hospital and later used as a police station, court and agricultural bank. It is a three-story building built with bricks and concrete, showing features of the Amoy Deco style. With a floor area of 676 square meters and a land area of 1,207 square meters, it is 30 meters in breadth and 20 meters in depth. With a U-shaped plane, its first and second floors are set with spacious corridors before which there are rails supported by ancient Greek-style Ionic concrete columns, The capitals of the columns and the beams are decorated with patterns of Western flowers. The two sides of the building are of hexagonal shape with the third floor dented inside. The top of the building is decorated with delicate geometric patterns. The third floor is installed with concrete windows with delicate, glamorous and symmetric lintels and parapets. The decorations of the elevation appear simple and lively. The natural color of the concrete granite rubble integrates naturally with the colors of the granite of the corridor and steps. The two wings, the lintels of the windows on the third floor and the parapets are all decorated with concrete reliefs of patterns of Western flowers and vines, looking distinctively beautiful. The top of the Western-style gatehouse is decorated with Western-style patterns of vines, fans and nails. The gateposts on the two sides are ancient Greek-style Ionic concrete columns. The courtyard walls were built with bricks and concrete. The same construction materials were applied to the gatehouse, walls, main building and annex construction. Plus the colorful detailed decorations, the entire complex realizes harmony and unity in forms.