Shanghai Prison
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The Tilanqiao Prison (), formerly known as the Ward Road Gaol or Shanghai Municipal Gaol, is a former
prison A prison, also known as a jail, gaol, penitentiary, detention center, correction center, correctional facility, or remand center, is a facility where Prisoner, people are Imprisonment, imprisoned under the authority of the State (polity), state ...
in
Hongkou District Hongkou (; formerly spelled Hongkew) is a district of Shanghai, forming part of the northern urban core. It has a land area of and a population of 757,498 as of 2020. The district borders Yangpu to the east, Pudong to the southeast, Huangpu ...
of
Shanghai Shanghai, Shanghainese: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: is a direct-administered municipality and the most populous urban area in China. The city is located on the Chinese shoreline on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the ...
, China. Originally built in the foreign-controlled
Shanghai International Settlement The Shanghai International Settlement () originated from the 1863 merger of the British Concession (Shanghai), British and American Concession (Shanghai), American list of former foreign enclaves in China, enclaves in Shanghai, in which Brit ...
, following the
Chinese Communist Revolution The Chinese Communist Revolution was a social revolution, social and political revolution in China that began in 1927 and culminated with the proclamation of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in 1949. The revolution was led by the Chinese C ...
it was run by the
Ministry of Public Security Ministry of Public Security can refer to: * Ministry of Justice and Public Security (Brazil) * Ministry of Public Security of Burundi * Ministry of Public Security (Chile) * Ministry of Public Security (China) * Ministry of Public Security of Co ...
. Throughout the first forty or so years of its life it was the largest prison in the world and earned a reputation as the "
Alcatraz Alcatraz Island () is a small island about 1.25 miles offshore from San Francisco in San Francisco Bay, California, near the Golden Gate Strait. The island was developed in the mid-19th century with facilities for a lighthouse, a military fo ...
of the Orient".


Ward Road Gaol period (1903–1941)

Tilanqiao Prison was built to hold those convicted of crimes in Shanghai's International Settlement. Prior to its construction foreign convicts were held in
ad hoc ''Ad hoc'' is a List of Latin phrases, Latin phrase meaning literally for this. In English language, English, it typically signifies a solution designed for a specific purpose, problem, or task rather than a Generalization, generalized solution ...
prisons within their consulates (or, if British, the Amoy Road Gaol) until they could be returned to their home country, and Chinese citizens were handed over to the native Chinese authorities. In 1901, however, with the growing size of the International Settlement and, in the aftermath of the
Boxer Rebellion The Boxer Rebellion, also known as the Boxer Uprising, was an anti-foreign, anti-imperialist, and anti-Christian uprising in North China between 1899 and 1901, towards the end of the Qing dynasty, by the Society of Righteous and Harmonious F ...
, a fear the
Qing The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing, was a Manchu-led Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China and an early modern empire in East Asia. The last imperial dynasty in Chinese history, the Qing dynasty was preceded by the ...
government could no longer control its citizens, the
Shanghai Municipal Council The Shanghai International Settlement () originated from the 1863 merger of the British and American enclaves in Shanghai, in which British and American citizens would enjoy extraterritoriality and consular jurisdiction under the terms of ...
drew up plans for a modern-style jail based on
Singaporean Singaporeans are the citizens and nationals of the sovereign island city-state of Singapore. Singapore is home to a people of a variety of ethno-racial-religious origins, with the city-state itself being a multi-racial, multi-cultural, m ...
and Canadian designs. Construction began at 117 Ward Road that year, with the first prisoners were placed in cells on 18 May 1903. Originally comprising 450 cells across two four-storey blocks, the prison was expanded after the 1911
Xinhai Revolution The 1911 Revolution, also known as the Xinhai Revolution or Hsinhai Revolution, ended China's last imperial dynasty, the Qing dynasty, and led to the establishment of the Republic of China (ROC). The revolution was the culmination of a decade ...
, when the previously Chinese-run International Mixed Courts of the Settlement were abandoned by the
Qing The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing, was a Manchu-led Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China and an early modern empire in East Asia. The last imperial dynasty in Chinese history, the Qing dynasty was preceded by the ...
government and taken over by the
Shanghai Municipal Council The Shanghai International Settlement () originated from the 1863 merger of the British and American enclaves in Shanghai, in which British and American citizens would enjoy extraterritoriality and consular jurisdiction under the terms of ...
(SMC). Further extensions took place in 1916 and continued until 1935 when the prison reached a grand total of some 70,000 square metres (17 acres), including six prison blocks, a juvenile block, a hospital, an administration block, workshops, a kitchen and laundry, and an execution chamber, all surrounded by a wall with guard-towers. The execution chamber is considered unique in pre-Second World War China in that it carried out death by
hanging Hanging is killing a person by suspending them from the neck with a noose or ligature strangulation, ligature. Hanging has been a standard method of capital punishment since the Middle Ages, and has been the primary execution method in numerou ...
, with the body dropping through a trapdoor directly into the prison hospital's
morgue A morgue or mortuary (in a hospital or elsewhere) is a place used for the storage of human corpses awaiting identification (ID), removal for autopsy, respectful burial, cremation or other methods of disposal. In modern times, corpses have cu ...
. Over the years specialist rooms were added to the prison, including 'isolation rooms' with
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, and a secure command centre for regrouping in event of a riot. The prison population comprised a mix of Chinese and European males found guilty by
consular court Consular courts were law courts established by foreign powers in countries where they had extraterritorial rights. They were presided over by consular officers. Extraterritoriality Western powers when establishing diplomatic relations with coun ...
s. (Although some European countries preferred not to send convicts to Ward Road Gaol, instead transferring them to prisons in their home countries or other colonies). Female Chinese convicts were only interned in Ward Road between 1904 and 1906, after which they were sent to female prisons elsewhere in the province. European women were housed in a Foreign Women's Block, but this closed in 1922 and women were placed in the
French Concession The Shanghai French Concession was a foreign concession in Shanghai, China from 1849 until 1943. For much of the 20th century, the area covered by the former French Concession remained the premier residential and retail district of Shanghai. ...
's prison. In 1925 a decision was made to no longer imprison Western convicts at Ward Road, instead sending them to the Settlement's Caucasian-only prison: Amoy Road Gaol. Between 1925 and 1930 Ward Road Gaol was therefore a prison predominantly housing Chinese prisoners, controlled and run by a predominantly
British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...
and
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
n staff. In 1930 Chiang Kai-shek's
Kuomintang The Kuomintang (KMT) is a major political party in the Republic of China (Taiwan). It was the one party state, sole ruling party of the country Republic of China (1912-1949), during its rule from 1927 to 1949 in Mainland China until Retreat ...
government negotiated for all male prisoners, Western or Chinese, to be sent to Ward Road Gaol and for it to be run as close to Chinese guidelines as possible. This was agreed in theory, though the British staff were unwilling to enforce Chinese discipline as provided in the guidelines, as this was considered harsh – even by the prison's own rough standards. For its existence, Ward Road Gaol has been considered one of the harshest in the world. Silence was enforced at all times and overcrowding was rife. In 1934 there were only 2925 cells between its 6000 inmates. Tuberculosis was found in nearly 65% of long-term prisoners, suicide was not uncommon, and discipline was enforced through
physical punishment A corporal punishment or a physical punishment is a punishment which is intended to cause physical pain to a person. When it is inflicted on minors, especially in home and school settings, its methods may include spanking or paddling. When ...
by use of long batons. The majority of warders were
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
n
Sikhs Sikhs (singular Sikh: or ; , ) are an ethnoreligious group who adhere to Sikhism, a religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Guru Nanak. The term ''Sikh'' ...
, who were generally despised by Chinese prisoners. Western prisoners were separated from the Chinese and were relatively better cared for, being given lighter duties, separate cells and softer uniforms. After 1930 they too were officially brought under the same discipline system as the Chinese, however.


Wartime period (1932–1949)


1932 to 1943

After the
First Battle of Shanghai The January 28 incident or Shanghai incident (January 28 – March 3, 1932) was a conflict between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. It took place in the Shanghai International Settlement which was under international control. Japa ...
ended with the ''de facto'' control of Hongkou, Ward Road Gaol found itself located in the middle of the Japanese-controlled sector of the International Settlement. Again, during the hostilities of 1937, the prison was trapped between the Chinese and Japanese armies. It was accidentally shelled a number of times, with prisoners killed and guards injured. A short
cease-fire A ceasefire (also known as a truce), also spelled cease-fire (the antonym of 'open fire'), is a stoppage of a war in which each side agrees with the other to suspend aggressive actions often due to mediation by a third party. Ceasefires may b ...
allowed 500 prisoners to be released to safe areas, but the Japanese cancelled further prisoner releases after the Municipal Council stated it could not simply turn loose
young offenders Juvenile delinquency, also known as juvenile offending, is the act of participating in unlawful behavior younger than the statutory age of majority. These acts would be considered crimes if the individuals committing them were older. The term ...
into a dangerous environment. The prison remained under the management and control of the Municipal Council until it was disbanded in 1943 and the prison continued to process and detain Chinese and foreign prisoners in Ward Road Gaol. However after the commencement of the
Pacific War The Pacific War, sometimes called the Asia–Pacific War or the Pacific Theatre, was the Theater (warfare), theatre of World War II fought between the Empire of Japan and the Allies of World War II, Allies in East Asia, East and Southeast As ...
in December 1941, Japan took over effective control of the Council. The prison nonetheless retained many of its Sikh and European guards.


1943 to 1945

This changed when it was turned over to the
Wang Jingwei Government The Reorganized National Government of the Republic of China, commonly described as the Wang Jingwei regime, was a puppet state of the Empire of Japan in eastern China. It existed coterminous with the Nationalist government of the Republic of ...
in 1943 following the disbandment of the International Settlement. The prison was renamed ''Tilanqiao Prison'' after the surrounding district. For the rest of the war the prison was used to hold thousands of Chinese dissidents who dissented against the Nanjing government, Western
prisoners of war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of war for a ...
, and some European civilians. Many prisoners were removed from the prison by the Japanese and used as
forced labour Forced labour, or unfree labour, is any work relation, especially in modern or early modern history, in which people are employed against their will with the threat of destitution, detention, or violence, including death or other forms of ...
. In February 1944, a section of the prison was made a consular prison for the detention of Japanese under control of the Japanese Consulate General. It was during this period that Ward Road saw its first and only escape, when two Americans and one British naval officer, all Allied POW's, managed to escape from the prison with Chinese assistance. In September 1944, USMC Corporal Jerold Beers Story, USN Lieutenant Commander Columbus Darwin Smith, and Commander John B. Wooley RN traveled 700 miles over seven weeks across Japanese-occupied China until they reached friendly forces.


1945 to 1949

In 1945 the
Axis Powers The Axis powers, originally called the Rome–Berlin Axis and also Rome–Berlin–Tokyo Axis, was the military coalition which initiated World War II and fought against the Allies of World War II, Allies. Its principal members were Nazi Ge ...
surrendered and Tilanqiao Prison was brought under the control of Chiang Kai-shek 's Kuomintang government. The KMT used the prison to detain several hundred Japanese
war criminals A war crime is a violation of the laws of war that gives rise to individual criminal responsibility for actions by combatants in action, such as intentionally killing civilians or intentionally killing prisoners of war, torture, taking hostag ...
and a number of Chinese who had been part of Wang Jingwei's government. In 1947 the first trials of these criminals were held. Thirteen Chinese
hanjian In China, the word ''hanjian'' () is a pejorative term for those seen as traitors to the Chinese state and, to a lesser extent, Han Chinese ethnicity. The word ''hanjian'' is distinct from the general word for traitor, which could be used for a ...
prisoners being executed inside the prison's walls. The U.S. military also used the prison to execute Japanese war criminals convicted by an American military commission in Shanghai. In 1948, the underground Communist Party member Wang Xiaohe was executed by the Guomindang after a show trial. The execution took place in the prison yard by firing squad rather than in the execution chamber.


Modern period (1950–present)

With the victory of the Communists (PRC) in the
Chinese Civil War The Chinese Civil War was fought between the Kuomintang-led Nationalist government, government of the Republic of China (1912–1949), Republic of China and the forces of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Armed conflict continued intermitt ...
in 1949, Shanghai's Tilanqiao Prison was brought under the control of the Municipal Military Control Commission and renamed the Shanghai People's Prison. In 1951 it was turned over to the civil Public Security Bureau and again renamed; this time to Shanghai Prison. It continued under this name until 1995 when it was named Shanghai Tilanqiao Prison. For many years Tilanqiao Prison was one of China's largest and most (in)famous prisons, often held and reported as a model prison by the PRC state. Nevertheless,
human rights Human rights are universally recognized Morality, moral principles or Social norm, norms that establish standards of human behavior and are often protected by both Municipal law, national and international laws. These rights are considered ...
groups and Western governments argue the prison continues to engage in torture, deprivation and cruelty. Allegations of torture and ill-treatment toward high-profile prisoners such as
Mao Hengfeng Mao Hengfeng (simplified Chinese: 毛恒凤; Traditional Chinese: 毛恆鳳; pinyin: Máo Héngfēng; born 9 December 1961) is a women's rights and human rights activist in the People's Republic of China. She refused to abort her third child aft ...
have been used to highlight apparent abuses at the prison.


See also

*
Penal system in China The penal system in the People's Republic of China is composed of an administrative detention system and a judicial incarceration system. As of 2020, it is estimated that 1.7 million people had been incarcerated in the People's Republic of China, ...
*
Shanghai International Settlement The Shanghai International Settlement () originated from the 1863 merger of the British Concession (Shanghai), British and American Concession (Shanghai), American list of former foreign enclaves in China, enclaves in Shanghai, in which Brit ...
*
Shanghai Municipal Police The Shanghai Municipal Police (SMP; ) was the police force of the Shanghai Municipal Council which governed the Shanghai International Settlement between 1854 and 1943, when the settlement was retroceded to Chinese control. Initially composed of ...


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Further reading

* {{Coord, 31, 15, 20, N, 121, 30, 37, E, region:GB_type:landmark_source:kolossus-zhwiki, display=title 1903 establishments in China British colonial prisons in Asia Prisons in Shanghai Shanghai International Settlement Major National Historical and Cultural Sites in Shanghai Hongkou District