Stepping into the Pathé Mansion

Today, I went with a friend to visit the old site of the Pathé Mansion in Xujiahui Park, a three-story retro-style western building with a brick-red structure, surrounded by lush trees, which is absolutely beautiful. The first floor houses the Little Red Mansion Restaurant, and the second and third floors are open for visitors, including a memorial exhibition for He Luting. The visiting area is not large, and it takes about 1 hour to walk around and see everything. The interior decoration of the entire mansion is very retro, featuring a spiral staircase, exquisite crystal chandeliers, various vintage records, pianos, etc. You can also listen to many familiar tunes with headphones on. In the 1930s, many famous singers, such as Zhou Xuan, Yao Li, Bai Guang, Wang Renmei, Li Xianglan, and others, dressed in splendid attire, came to this little western building to record songs. Classic sounds like 'The Wandering Songstress', 'Shanghai Nights', 'Rose, Rose, I Love You', 'Without You', 'Fishermen's Song', and many others, also drifted from the upper floors of this building. This was also the workplace of Nie Er, who served as a music editor here. The first version of 'March of the Volunteers', which he co-created with Tian Han, was recorded here, and this is the proudest highlight of the Pathé Little Red Mansion. It is said that when Li Jinguang composed 'Evening Primrose', he was inspired by the night view outside the Pathé office window. The moonlight was like washing, the moon was bright, and the moonlight shone on the blooming night-blooming cereus. The gentle breeze brought the fragrance of the flowers into the quiet room, and he was so intoxicated by this beautiful scene that he immediately wrote the lyrically rich tune 'Evening Primrose'. The mansion regularly hosts holographic plays, and we happened to catch the one at 3 pm. The play mainly explains the origin of 'March of the Volunteers', with Zhang Wanyi (played by the actor portraying Chen Yannian) playing Nie Er, which was quite good to watch. The mansion not only has a profound historical background but is also an excellent spot for photography. Sisters who love taking photos and love music must definitely come and check in. Tips: 1. Year of construction: 1921 2. Detailed address: No. 811 Hengshan Road, Xuhui District 3. Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday 9:00-17:00 (entry stops at 16:30) 4. Ticket information: Free admission Xujiahui