Extensive charity and love stands behind facade of old French hospital

• Published date: 10 July 2020
• Publication title: Shanghai Daily

PERCHED in a corner of the garden-style Ruijin Hospital, a pair of worn-out twin buildings with mottled facades look out over the metropolis.

Back in the 1930s, they were the city's most advanced medical buildings and at the cutting edge of international health care. Designed by famous French architectural firm Leonard, Veysseyre and Kruze, the buildings later became known as the cradle of internal medicine.

"The twin buildings may look plain today, but they are the famous 'Building 2' and 'Building 3' of our hospital. A galaxy of China's top medical masters, including five academicians of China's Academy of Sciences, have worked here," says Xu Shanhua, a researcher from the office of Ruijin Hospital Record, who has worked in the twin buildings since the 1970s.

According to the hospital archives, the planning of the twin buildings started in 1932 when the predecessor of Ruijin Hospital, a French Catholic hospital named Ste. Marie's, celebrated its 25th anniversary.

The hospital was built on a 106,720-square-meter site purchased by French father Le. T. R. Pere Robert, with support from the French municipal council. In 1906, today's Ruijin Road 2, fronting the hospital gate, was named Route Pere Robert to honor the work of the French father, who later left Shanghai. His job was taken over by Father Prosper Paris, who opened Ste. Marie's Hospital on October 13, 1907. The hospital's Chinese name "Guang Ci" means "extensive charity and love."

During its 25th anniversary in 1932, French consul general M. Meyrier said the hospital started from four modest buildings with a limited number of beds and a scarcity of equipment.

"The hospital has grown steadily during the past quarter of a century to its present splendid position of a modern and well-equipped institution. During the year 1931-1932 alone, St. Mary's Hospital treated 7,080 patients. There were 560 births in the maternity department and 1,124 operations were...