Consular Row

This picture of a Chinese junk, which the author recently found in a flea market in Shanghai, probably dates from the early 1920’s. In the background, to the right of the sail, are the Japanese and German Consulates on "Consular Row", the area north of Soochow Creek which contained four consulates: those two, plus those of the Americans and the Russians (see picture above).

The Consulates

This residence, built in 1921 in the Mediterranean style, has lived up to its architecture: in 1936 it was the Spanish Consulate, in 1939 the home of the French Commercial Attache and, when the French reopened their consulate here forty years later, it became the French Consulate General; it is currently the residence of their Consul General.  It is currently the residence of their Consul General. Its extensive garden features ornamental ponds, a tea pavilion and five dogs-three of them live. The garden is annually on French National Day the setting for a large and lively garden party.

Just across the street is the present-day American Consulate General, formerly the Swiss Consulate. Although the house is not as photogenic, its garden is more impressive: it boasts a carp pond, an orange grove, two greenhouses, a carriage house and a gazebo-but only one dog. A third house, built next door to it in the same era and reputedly by the same construction firm, it now occupied by the Japanese Consulate General.

 It is rumored that all three houses were once linked by a tunnel, to be used for emergency escapes (or perhaps nocturnal visiting). Extensive renovation-linked excavations around the premises so far have turned up a great deal of old piping but no tunnel.

Thanks to their diplomatic tenancy, the mansions are well maintained and are three of the loveliest of the current consular corps'bulildings.