Ward Road Jail
Are there any classified monuments nobody wishes to go? Yes, at least the notorious Tilanqiao Prison, formerly known as the Ward Road Jail, which has become a “household” name in Shanghai for more than a century.
Located on No.147 Ward Road (the present Changyang Road), Hongkew District, the first jail building was constructed in 1901 and went into service in 1903. It continued to expand and by 1935, the complex comprises of 10 buildings surrounded by walls of 5 metre high.
It was under the management of the Shanghai Municipal Council (the British) for 38 years and only British, Indian and Russian were recruited as guards in the jail. But in 1930, a group of Indians went on a strike and thus were dismissed. 40 Chinese guards were immediately employed and since then, the number of Chinese seen in this jail increased.
In the beginning, the prisoners were either British or some other westerners. During the 1940s, a lot of revolutionaries were locked and some traitors and Japanese after 1945.
The Shanghai Government invested about 3 million Yuan and converted one of the 6-storey concrete jail into a museum in 1999.
Epilogue: Would you like to take a look when you come to Shanghai next time?
Photo Credit :John Meckley
Tags: Hongkou District, Jewish Quarters
