The civilian era in Zhongnanhai
The civilian era in Zhongnanhai
Author/Golden Student
After the successful Northern Expedition of the People's Government, Beijing was renamed Beiping, losing its former position as the political center, which also gave the mysterious Zhongnanhai an opportunity to return power to the people. The letter and telegram from South China Gui, who was then the director of the Beijing Municipal Civil Service Bureau, requesting the protection of Zhongnanhai, caught the attention of the local government. After some efforts, on December 13, 1928, the Zhongnanhai Board of Directors, which was in the process of being established, sent a letter to the Beijing Municipal Civil Service Bureau inviting them to participate in the preparatory work of the board. In the invitation letter, it is said: "The Central and South Seas range from as far away as one of the imperial gardens of the Qing Dynasty. Its scenery is beautiful and magnificent, and it is famous for its construction in China. However, its funding is nothing but the cream of our people's ancestors, which is for the entertainment of a few people, and it is something that our people are unwilling to accept. Since the establishment of the Republic of China, it has been controlled by more than ten warlords, hiding dirt and pollution, and gathering evil." "" And in this history, the gardens are not owned by the people, and it is a pity to sit idly by and neglect them. At the same time, people and others follow the wishes of the former Prime Minister that the world is a public place, and believe that the Central and South Seas should be directly governed by the citizens, to eradicate the roots of evil, and to provide visitors with enjoyment. The Beijing Branch of the Central Political Gathering Conference also sent a letter requesting the Beijing Special Municipal Government, the Pingjin Garrison Command, the Beijing Security Command, and the Military Police Command to jointly establish the "Reception of Zhongnanhai Office", And prepare to officially open Zhongnanhai as soon as possible. The relevant authorities also hope that Zhongnanhai will be a park for the common recreation of Beijing citizens, always open and free of charge. In April 1929, the board of directors of Zhongnanhai elected Xiong Xiling as the chairman and member, and Li Guanghan as the director of affairs.
In May 1929, the Beijing Special City Government followed the example of Zhongshan Park and Beihai Park and named this place Sanhai Park, officially opening it. In December 1930, the park was renamed Zhongnanhai Park. Inside the ground floor door of Xinhua Gate Tower, there hangs a horizontal plaque in the Wei stele style "Zhongnanhai Park" written by Zhang Hairuo, a Qing Dynasty veteran.
At the beginning of its opening, Zhongnanhai also suffered varying degrees of damage during the overlapping of old and new regimes. In a letter, South China Gui once lamented that Zhongnanhai was "plagued by livestock and filth, and it was not a pity for ancient relics". The Beiping Municipal Government has established a "Temporary Committee for the Rectification of Zhongnanhai Park" to be responsible for its renovation. In addition, there are many houses in the park that are used by some units, organizations or rented by merchants outside the park. According to Mr. Haenzhong of the First Archives of Chinese History, more than 100 houses in the park, including Juren Hall, Xifu Hall, Huanle Zhuang, Zengfu Hall, Laifu Hall, and Guoyuan, were borrowed by the Preparatory Committee of the National Beiping Library for a long time since the autumn of 1928. It was not until the establishment of the committee in 1929, after several negotiations, that they were gradually relocated due to the completion of the new building on Wenjin Street; The Blessing Hall, Yongfu Hall, and Yiyuan in the park are used by the Chinese Dictionary Compilation Office; More than 50 houses in Jinggu were occupied by the Beiping shortwave radio station of the Ministry of Transportation of the Republic of China government; The transportation gate and 149 barracks in the park were previously approved by the Office of the Special Commissioner of the Beiping Prefecture and loaned to the Beiping Academy of Fine Arts as a campus. With the intervention of the municipal government beforehand, there have been some signs of property recovery. With the gradual recovery of properties, the work of clearing rent has started one after another. According to an investigation by the Zhongnanhai Temporary Committee, "various merchants in the park owe more than 2200 yuan in rent" and more than 120 yuan in rent outside the park. Some merchants have been owing rent for many years, and after repeated negotiations and twists and turns, the park finally ordered the tenants in arrears, led by seafood merchant Xu Zhang, to pay off their debts before 5 pm on June 13th. Otherwise, the police station will be asked to clear them out of the park.
To improve the condition of the park and repair damaged constructions, the park has also developed some revenue generating projects. The main sources of income for the park are as follows:
Ticket revenue: Park tickets are the same as Beihai Park, both priced at five cents. In addition to regular ticket purchases for admission to the park, the park has also set up discounted tickets - Youzi coupons - based on the sales situation of peak and off-season tickets. The coupons are divided into two types: "Type A coupons, 60 tickets per book, sell for 2 yuan; Type B coupons, 25 tickets per book, sell for 1 yuan".
Setting up a parking lot: According to the park regulations in advance, ordinary citizens can enter the park by means of transportation, with different fees for "mounts". Each bicycle costs one cent, each rickshaw costs two cents, and each car costs five cents. Merchants within the park can also purchase long-term vehicle passes at a higher cost.