At the intersection of Hankou Zhongshan Avenue and Shengli Street, there is a four-story brick and wood structure in the late classicist style, which is the office building of the former Station Street Office in Jiang'an District, Wuhan. When I was a child, I used to go to the Wuhan Cinema or the Jiefang Cinema to watch movies, and when I went to the Jiang'an District Cultural Center to read books, I often passed by here, and I didn't feel anything different about it.
Today, when I went to Hankou to do business, I accidentally found that on the outer wall of this building, there was an oval stone plaque engraved with "Excellent Historical Building • Xiao Yaonan Mansion • 1925 Wuhan Municipal People's Government • July 28, 1993". It turned out to be the former residence of Xiao Yaonan, an important historical figure in the Beiyang period of the Republic of China and the governor of Hubei Province who was known as the "King of Hubei"!
Xiao Yaonan, a native of Kongbu Town, Xinzhou District, Wuhan, was the commander of the 25th Division under the warlord Wu Peifu, and entered Hubei Province in 1921 for quelling a mutiny, where he served as the governor of Hubei Province, the governor of Hubei Province, the inspector of the Two Lakes, and the rank of general of the army, and he was in charge of Hubei Province from August 1921 to February 1926.
(Xiao Yaonan, picture from Baidu)
(Siu Yao Nan Mansion at 911 Zhongshan Avenue)
During the five years that Xiao Yaonan was in charge of Hubei, he did many bad things and repeatedly suppressed the revolutionary movements of the people of Hubei. In addition to the suppression of the "February 7 Strike" in Wuhan in 1923, he also colluded with imperialism in 1925 and participated in the suppression of the "May Thirtieth Movement" in Shanghai.
(Commemorative badge made by Xiao Yaonan when he was in charge of Hubei, picture from Baidu)
But for hubei water conservancy and education, Xiao Yaonan also has certain merits. In 1922, under his impetus, several junior colleges in Hubei were converted into universities, such as Wuchang University and Hubei University of Law, and the later Wuhan University was established on the basis of Wuchang University.
On February 14, 1926, on the morning of the first day of the first lunar month, Xiao Yaonan died of illness at the age of 51 in his post as governor of Hubei Province.
At present, the building has been renovated "as old as old", but it has been vacant, and you can only look at the exterior to visit.