Zhou Enlai's former residence (Zhougongguan) is located on Sinan Road, which was in the heart of the former French Concession area.
                                                                    
China's most revered leader during the Mao years, Premier Zhou Enlai (1898-1976),
the former Chinese Prime Minister in the 1960s and 70s is seen by many as one of
China's greatest twentieth century leaders. A keen military strategist and an excellent
diplomat, Zhou was a key figure in negotiations between the U.S and China in the
1970s.

Zhou Enlai lived in this ivy-covered house during the domestic war. In 1945 the
Communist Party and the Nationalist Party formulated “the guidelines for peaceful
country build-up”. The representative office was set up by the CPC delegation headed
by Comrade Zhou En Lai in June 1946 as to carry out the following negotiations and
united front work. Under the name of “General Zhou En Lai’s Residence” (abbreviated
to “Sir Zhou’s Mansion”), the office was where Comrade Zhou En Lai held a number of
press conferences and met with Chinese and foreign friends.

It is a three-storey house with a strong French architectural flavor, covering an area of 850 square
meters with a courtyard. The house was used more as an office than residence, there are some
great black and white photos in the rooms documenting events that took place here.

The house is surrounded by a pretty garden with heavy vegetation and wicker chairs and has a very
colonial feel about it. The backyard has a small courtyard garden, where there is a statue of Zhou.
A visit here is a real trip back in time and it's usually very quiet and peaceful.

Though the house and its beautiful garden display the Western influence in Shanghai in the early
1900s, Zhou kept a spartan room on the first floor (his threadbare blankets are neatly folded on the
bed); newspapers were produced on the second floor; and a dorm was maintained in the attic.