Bagong House and Lihuangpi Road

Bagon House (巴公房子)
Bagon House, located at the intersection of Lihuangpi Road and Lanling Road in Wuhan’s Jiang’an District, is a historic Russian-style building constructed between 1901 and 1910 by the Banov brothers, Russian tea merchants and relatives of Tsar Nicholas I. Known as the "Wuhan version of Shanghai’s Wukang Building," it features a triangular layout with Baroque domes, red brick walls, and large balconies. Once the largest apartment complex in Hankou, it now serves as a cultural and commercial hub with boutique hotels, cafes, and shops, symbolizing the blend of Eastern and Western cultures.

Lihuangpi Road (黎黄陂路)
Lihuangpi Road, a 604-meter-long street in Wuhan’s former Russian Concession, was renamed in 1946 to honor Li Yuanhong, a two-term President of the Republic of China and native of Huangpi. This "slow-life" district preserves 17 European-style buildings from the early 20th century, including the Sino-Russian Daosheng Bank and the Russian Police Station. Often called a "street museum," it combines historical charm with modern cafes and artistic vibes, making it a popular spot for photography and leisure.

living museum of Hankou’s history

Bagon House

Architectural Features: Designed by the British firm Atkinson & Dallas, Bagon House is a fusion of Baroque and Neoclassical styles. Its triangular plan forms a sharp-angled courtyard, with a curved main entrance at the apex. The building originally had three floors and a basement, but a fourth floor was added later. The "Big Bagon" (closer to Lanling Road) and "Small Bagon" (near Lihuangpi Road) sections are connected by a central courtyard, showcasing symmetrical facades and intricate interior details .

Historical Significance: As a landmark of the Russian Concession, Bagon House hosted foreign expatriates and wealthy merchants. It reflects Hankou’s role in the 19th-century tea trade and was listed as a Hubei Provincial Cultural Heritage Site in 2021. Recent renovations transformed it into "Bagon Mansion," integrating a luxury hotel and the "Wanli Tea Road Museum" .

Lihuangpi Road

Cultural Heritage: The street’s history dates to 1900 when it was part of the Russian Concession. Post-1946, it became a symbol of Wuhan’s modern history, housing relics like the Christian Missionary Building and the former U.S. Navy YMCA. The area’s cobblestone paths and European architecture evoke the colonial era, while contemporary cafes and galleries attract young visitors .

Modern Revival: Designated a "Street Museum" in 2016, Lihuangpi Road balances preservation with urban renewal. Landmarks like Song Qingling’s Former Residence and the Qiaoxiang Cafe highlight its blend of nostalgia and modernity. The street’s vibrant atmosphere, especially around Bagon House, epitomizes Wuhan’s cultural renaissance .

Bagon House

History of Bagon House

Constructed in 1901 by Russian tea merchants, the Banoff brothers (J.K. Banoff & S.K. Banoff), Bagon House was once the largest apartment complex in Hankou. After amassing wealth through the tea trade, the brothers invested in real estate, with this building as their landmark project. After 1949, it was nationalized and used for government offices and residential purposes. Restoration began in the 2010s, and it is now a protected historical site in Wuhan.

Origins (1901-1910): Funded by Russian tea magnates Jacob and Simeon Banoff, the building served as a luxury apartment complex for expatriates in Hankou’s Russian Concession.
Turmoil (1917-1949): After the Russian Revolution, the Banoff family left China, and the building housed multinational residents. During WWII, it was occupied by Japanese forces.
Nationalization & Decline (1950-2000): Nationalized post-1949, it became overcrowded housing. Despite decay, original features like wooden staircases survived.
Revival (2010s-Present): Restored in 2013 with historical accuracy, it reopened in 2021 as a cultural hub.

Architecture of Bagon House

Primarily Russian Classical style with European influences, featuring red brick facades, arched windows, symmetrical design, and interior wooden staircases with decorative plasterwork.

Russian Classicism: Inspired by St. Petersburg, with symmetrical layouts and robust red-brick walls designed by Dutch engineers.
Interior Details: Oak-carved stair railings, Rococo-style plaster ceilings, and preserved cast-iron fireplaces.
Functional Design: Shared kitchens and bathrooms on each floor reflected early communal living concepts.

People of Bagon House

The Banoff brothers were leading Russian merchants in late 19th-century Hankou, dominating the tea trade before transitioning to real estate. Their family left China after the October Revolution, leaving the building as a symbol of Hankou’s multicultural past.

The Banoff Brothers: Jewish-Russian tea tycoons who dominated the Hankou-Moscow tea route. Exiled after 1917, they settled in the U.S.

A Notable Tenant: A White Russian pianist hosted nightly concerts in the 1920s, drawing diplomats.

Restoration Team: Led by Wuhan University architects, they uncovered 1930s newspapers and Russian letters hidden in walls.

Current use of Bagon House

Restored as a cultural-commercial complex housing museums, cafés, and creative studios.

Cultural Hub: The ground floor houses the "Hankou Tea Port Museum"; upper floors host creative studios.

Commercial Spaces: A rooftop café "1901 Tea House" serves Russian-style tea, while a basement theatre hosts performances.

Fun Facts of Bagon House

Rumored to have underground tunnels; featured in the film The Golden Era.

Legends claim secret tunnels linked the building to the Yangtze docks for tea smuggling.

Workers found 1920s vodka bottles in the attic during restoration, now displayed in the museum.

The film The Golden Era filmed scenes here, symbolizing the rootlessness of Chinese intellectuals.

Future of Bagon House

Plans include integrating digital exhibitions to create a "living museum" of Hankou’s history.

Future plans include holographic tours of 1920s expat life and a "Tea Road" exhibition with Moscow.

Photo of Bagon House

Lihuangpi Road

History of Lihuangpi Road

Built in the 1900s as Rue de Paris in the French Concession, it was renamed Lihuangpi Road in the 1920s to honor Li Yuanhong (a Huangpi-native and Republic of China president). Preserved post-1949, it became a pedestrian zone in 2016.

French Concession Era (1900-1920): Designed as a radial Parisian-style street with a French police station and Banque de l’Indochine.
Republican Era (1920-1949): Renamed in 1925 to honor Li Yuanhong, it housed Citibank and Jardine Matheson offices.
Modern Revival (2016-Present): Pedestrianized in 2016, preserving 22 heritage buildings as a "National Historical Street."

Style of Lihuangpi Road

Eclectic architecture blending French Neoclassical and Baroque elements, with arcades, wrought-iron balconies, and red-tiled roofs.

French Eclectic Style: Combines Neoclassical arches, Baroque reliefs, and colonial verandas. The former "International Hospital" features stained-glass domes.
Materials: Local red sandstone paired with Belgian wrought-iron railings; bricks laid in English bond style.

People of Lihuangpi Road

Li Yuanhong: A Huangpi-native “Republican General” who advocated national unity. The road’s renaming honored his legacy.

Paul Claudel: The French poet-diplomat wrote Knowing the East here, inspired by Hankou’s exoticism.

Modern Entrepreneurs: The owner of “Goose Society Bookstore” compares Lihuangpi Road to “Paris’s Left Bank.”

Current use of Lihuangpi Road

A trendy destination with cafés, galleries, and boutiques like "Magic Café" and "Goose Society Bookstore."

Cultural Venues: Vintage shops like “Time Capsule,” cat cafés, and jazz nights at “Old Church Art Space.”
Public Art: Bronze reliefs 100 Years of Hankou depict rickshaws and tea markets; plane trees bear poets’ quotes.

Fun Facts of Lihuangpi Road

No.15 was a CCP underground hub; Zhou Enlai operated here under the alias “Wu Hao.”
A “Love Tree” covered in couples’ engravings was preserved during renovation.
An annual “Leaf Art Festival” encourages visitors to create art with fallen plane leaves.

Future of Lihuangpi Road

Plans include AR-guided tours, enhancing its "slow living" theme, and hosting international art festivals.

Demo

Special stores in Lihuangpi Road

Goose Society Bookstore & Gallery

Founded by artist Chen Mo, this bookstore occupies a renovated 1930s French trading warehouse. It preserves original red-brick walls and wooden beams, specializing in indie publications and rare art catalogues. The second floor hosts indie film screenings followed by director Q&As.
Backstory: Inspired by Paris’s Shakespeare and Company, Chen Mo chose Lihuangpi Road to create a “cultural heartbeat” for Wuhan.

Magic Café

A 1920s-themed café run by history enthusiast Wang Wei. Vintage decor includes a gramophone playing Zhou Xuan’s songs. The signature “Lihuangpi Mocha” features cocoa-powder road patterns.
Backstory: Wang’s grandfather was a rickshaw puller here; the bar counter replicates a historic café he frequented.

Le Temps Passé

Housed in a former French police station, chef Jean-Luc blends Lyonnais techniques with local ingredients (e.g., lotus root foie gras terrine). The cellar preserves original prison bars, now storing wines.
Backstory: Jean-Luc’s great-grandfather was a chef in the French Concession; a family recipe for “Hankou-style beef bourguignon” is served here.

Floating Life Bar

A speakeasy hidden in a bomb shelter, entered through a fake newsstand. Signature cocktail “No.8 Lihuangpi” mixes Huangpi rice wine with Bénédictine and osmanthus syrup. “Prohibition Nights” feature 1920s-style bartending in traditional gowns.

Backstory: Owner Jay, a history graduate, revived Hankou’s underground bar culture from archives.

Zen Tea House

A minimalist tea house in a Republican-era merchant’s mansion. Offers “Hankou Tea Ceremony” pairing local Qingchuan tea with French madeleines. The courtyard’s ancient ginkgo tree creates a golden tea carpet in autumn.
Backstory: The mansion once hosted British tea magnate Thomas Lipton.

Old Church Art Space

A deconsecrated 1908 Gothic church turned avant-garde venue. Hosts experimental theater and jazz nights under original stained glass. “Vinyl Nights” feature vintage Hankou records.
Backstory: A 1940s bilingual diary by a Chinese friar was found under the altar during renovation.

Cultural Events in Lihuangpi Road

Lihuangpi Leaf Art Festival

Held every November, this festival encourages art made with plane tree leaves. 2022 highlights: Yayoi Kusama-inspired “Polka Dot Leaf Field” and percussion performances using dried leaves.

Hankou Twin Cities Art Festival

A 2023 collaboration with Lyon, France, themed “Rivers & Memory.” French artists painted fluorescent murals, while Wuhan paper-cut masters depicted Lyon’s old town.

Night Tales of Lihuangpi

Summer Friday night events include:

1920s Costume Parade: Visitors dress in period attire for photos.
Haunted History Tour: Writers share French Concession ghost stories, ending at Floating Life Bar.

Indie Zine Fair

Central China’s largest indie publishing event. 2023 highlights: Wuhan comic group “Hot Dry Noodle Alliance” released Secret History of Lihuangpi, illustrating the CCP’s underground activities at No.15.

Demo

Book a Tour With Us

Unlock Wuhan’s Secrets: Premium Tours with Certified English Guides

Why Choose Our Expert-Led Excursions in Wuhan?

1. "Living Guidebook" Depth

2. Zero Language Barrier

3. Safety Guarantee & Quick Access

4. Hyperlocal Story Weaving

Upgrade Your Trip with One Click:
Don’t just see Wuhan – converse with it through certificated guide who speak it in depth.
Book Now →

Wuhan Architecture Tour (China Chicago)
2 hr
350人民币
Book Now
Private Guided Tour Service in Wuhan
1 hr
from 600-3000
Book Now