Escape the crowds and step into a British-style old mansion in Shanghai to experience a century of romance

Recently, I've fallen in love with exploring old mansions in Shanghai, visiting several in one go. This particular old mansion offers a quiet retreat amidst the bustling city and is a rare British-style old mansion—truly beautiful! This is Huashan 263 Old Brand Pavilion, Shanghai’s first public cultural space centered on old brand culture. It was formerly the Draymond Residence. 🌳 About the Draymond Residence: ✅ Once the private residence of British lawyer Draymond, built in 1899. Draymond came to Shanghai in 1870, opened a law firm in the concession, and once represented the Qing government in major cases. ✅ After Draymond’s death in 1915, the residence changed hands several times. It was auctioned in 1924, partially rebuilt as part of Dasheng Alley in 1930, used by the Sisters of the Sacred Heart in 1932, and after the founding of the PRC, served as offices for the Shanghai Agricultural Reclamation Economic Society and other units. ✅ Listed as a cultural relic protection site in Jing’an District in 2014, renovation began in October 2022, and it opened to the public in December 2023, becoming the Huashan 263 Old Brand Pavilion we see today. ✅ The exterior features British Tudor Revival style, with blue and red brick walls paired with Baroque porches and Corinthian column capitals, flanked by broken eaves with triangular gables and Chinese-style eave boards. ✅ The interior has excellent lighting with three sides of floor-to-ceiling windows and is a three-story mixed brick, wood, and stone structure. 🍄 Exhibition Highlights: 🌀 1F Century of Glory: After Shanghai opened in 1843, foreign goods flooded into China. Yet, during this era dominated by foreign products, domestic brands were also rising. In the 1950s, old brands underwent public-private partnerships and nationalization, expanding their scale. These brands have witnessed the changes of the times and record the development of Shanghai’s commercial civilization. 🌀 2F Ideal City: This floor showcases daily necessities from the 1930s like rice, oil, salt, ink, paper, and inkstones, bicycles, sewing machines, watches, and radios from the 1950s and 60s, and children’s shoes, hats, and clothing from the 80s and 90s. Walking through here truly feels like stepping back in time. 🌀 1F Classic and Eternal: The globalization of old brands has kept classics alive, creating new brilliance in the new era. 🌈 Tips: ✔️ Advance reservation is required at "Huashan 263 Old Brand Pavilion" - Reservation - Exhibition Hall Reservation ✔️ Reservations open 3 days in advance; there are few visitors, so same-day reservations are possible. ✔️ Note there is a lunch break at noon, so avoid arriving during that time. 🗒️ Huashan 263 Old Brand Pavilion 📍 No. 263 Huashan Road, Building 7 🕒 9:30-11:30; 13:30-17:00, closed on Mondays 💰 Free, reservation required 🌸 Recommended visit time: 1 hour