Historical Marshall Mansion in Shanghai

Author Recalls Brief Respite in General George Marshall's Former Home

AN UNFORGETTABLE TIME IN CHINA

In the mid-1990s, I had the great fortune to live and work in China for several years for a European cargo and trade company - a job I landed by a fluke, and just as luckily did fairly well with. A German business colleague I befriended there once told me of an adage spoken among his peers:

"In China, the days are long, but the years are short."

True words which have stayed with me to this day. I can easily say that those few years in China were among the most interesting and enjoyable times of my life. I'll never forget it.

I LIVED IN GENERAL MARSHALL'S HOME

Life as a foreigner was tough in China sometimes.

Among the less pleasurable experiences I endured were the many times I had to move for business reasons. I lived in Shanghai most of the time, and one of the best places I ever stayed was for several weeks in a wonderful old mansion (SEE IMAGE 1) in south-central Shanghai (SEE IMAGE 3).

This wonderful place was called the Marshall Mansion, named after the historic military figure, General George C. Marshall (SEE IMAGE 4). Marshall is known in American history as a US Army leader, a former Secretary of State, and the third Secretary of Defense. Hailed by Winston Churchill as an "organizer of victory" for his role in the Allied victory in World War II, Marshall later lent his name to the Marshall Plan, for which he was given the Nobel Peace Prize in 1953. Marshall lived in this villa mansion from 1945-1946 when attempting to negotiate truce between Chiang Kai-shek and Mao Zedong.

THE MARSHALL MANSION

The Marshall Mansion was built in south-central Shanghai's former French concession in 1920. After Marshall's departure from China, it became a luxurious digs to Chinese government officials traveling away from their homes in other parts of China. The address is 160 Taiyuan Rd in Shanghai's Xuihui district (in simplified Chinese code:中国上海市徐汇区太原路160号 - 太原别墅).

MANSION'S OWNER ASSASSINATED BY A CHINESE GANGSTER