Former Site of the Hubei Provincial Assembly Members' Office

At the southern foothills of Serpent Hill, the Gray Building stands in quiet dialogue with the red brick assembly hall before it. Completed in September 1910, this quadrangle of four interconnected, two-story buildings cost a portion of the one hundred thousand silver taels allocated by Huguang Governor Chen Kuilong. Assembly members petitioned for this dedicated space. They sought to avoid the delays of Wuchang's scattered lodgings, choosing instead to live and work within these gray brick walls and wood-framed corridors.

The building soon became a crucible of change. Following the Wuchang Uprising on October 10, 1911, the compound served as the headquarters for the Military Government of Hubei. In April 1912, Sun Yat-sen walked through these doors, sharing a banquet in the western dining room. The quiet scratching of ink brushes, the rustle of silk robes, and the clatter of dining plates defined this brief era of constitutional hope.

Destruction arrived in 1938. During the Battle of Wuhan, Japanese aerial bombs tore through the quadrangle, leaving only the south wing, the southeast corner tower, and fragments of the eastern wall standing amid the rubble. For decades, these scarred ruins remained at the foot of the mountain.

Today, the restored rooms invite quiet contemplation. In the eastern wing, visitors find the recreated dormitories and the western dining room where Sun Yat-sen was hosted. The rear wing holds six hundred historical artifacts, including two hundred national-level relics. Visitors can view the writing tools of revolutionary leader Huang Xing, the calligraphy of Sun Wu, and the blood-stained clothing of Huang Zhenxiang. These physical remnants bridge the gap between past and present, offering a tangible connection to the individuals who reshaped a nation.