The residence was founded in 1928 by the French trustee company “Yuandong” (far east). At that time Yueyang Road was part of the French Concession. Inside the yard, there were two buildings, one of which, the building No.11, is the French Consulate, the other is the French consul’s official residence.

Building No.11 was the site of the most important ruling body of the France in Shanghai until 1943. After the abolition of the Concessions, it was taken over by the government of Republic of China at that time : the government of Wang Jingwei. At the early days of the founding of the People ‘s Republic of China (i.e. 1949), it was taken over by the academy of medical sciences of the PLA (People’s Liberation Army). In 1956, as the composition of the State Council (formerly the State Council), the Chinese Academy of Sciences set up the East China Office (predecessor of the Chinese Academy of Sciences Shanghai Branch) to monitor the scientific research institutions of the six provinces and one city in east China, the office is located in Yueyang Road 319, the building No.11 became officially part of the Shanghai Branch of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The building was built with bricks and woods, and its roof is rich in change with dormer windows, the bottom of the floor for the red water brick wall, two or more white powder and dark wood frame. The part of roof and the walls are beautifully decorated with red brick chimneys, the entrance is the simple porch with style “Tuscan Order”. The whole building presents an English country house style.

Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, North Korean leader Kim Il Sung and some other leaders came to visit it. Today, the two buildings have been repaired as they were.