Poolside House (Beijing)

 house, national government / government

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Poolside House was built adjacent to the existing concrete pool that dates from the time of the Republic of China. Because Mao Zedong frequently worked at the nearby indoor pool rather than at his official residence in Fortress Garden, he chose to build a house here in order to be permanently close to the pool. The pool was remodeled and the house constructed under the supervision of Zhongnanhai's engineer Tian Genggui. Mao Zedong moved into the house in 1966 at the beginning of the Cultural Revolution. The building initially had minimal furnishings and no kitchen, requiring food to be delivered by staff. After Mao's death, Zhou Enlai's wife Deng Yingchao briefly lived here before returning to West Flower Hall.