Illiterate but illustrious, a man of architecture
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BORN into a family of four generations of carpenters and masons, Zhang Huilong was an icon of Songjiang architecture.
At the age of 20, he was repairing ancient roof tiles. He also was proficient in building clay ovens and chimneys.
Zhang could read and write very little, but he was nonetheless responsible for large construction projects with complicated designs. There were no actual architectural designs. All the work was done by word of mouth.
One of his most successful works was the Yu Residence in the Zhangtaqiao area, which has been listed as one of Songjiang’s top 10 traditional halls.
Literacy aside, Zhang was a quick learner. He was the first person to pave cobblestones onto walls in downtown Shanghai and later introduced the technique to Songjiang District. It was developed into use in building rockeries.
In 1974, when he was 80, Zhang was invited to renovate the Fangta, an ancient tower dating back 900 years ago.
He oversaw the work of repairing rot, painting the exterior walls according to ancient methods and restoring the bells on the four tips of the top roof.
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