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Americans Designed and Built Peking Union Medical College Hospital

The old buildings of the Peking Union Medical College Hospital in Beijing. (Photo: Ivan Walsh/Wikimedia Commons)

By Newsancai

May 21, 2025
4:33 pm
Los Angeles, CA

In the 1930s, China underwent a significant architectural movement exploring the integration of traditional Chinese styles with modern architectural practices. This movement left an enduring legacy in the history of Chinese modern architecture, though it remains relatively obscure today. While the Nationalist Government established the “Chinese Traditional Inherent Form Committee” to promote traditional styles in public buildings in cities such as Nanjing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, foreign architects and institutions also began incorporating traditional Chinese architectural motifs in projects built in China. PUMCH stands out as a seminal example of this phenomenon. Officially named the “Affiliated Hospital of the Peking Union Medical College,” it remains one of the most prominent medical facilities constructed in China by American organizations. During this period, the Chinese Nationalist Government moved the capital to Nanjing

During this period, the Chinese Nationalist Government moved the capital to Nanjing and actively encouraged the exploration of traditional national forms in architecture across the country. Although PUMCH’s design was not directly mandated by this administrative directive, it was undoubtedly influenced by the broader cultural and political atmosphere promoting Chinese aesthetics in public infrastructure.

In the early 20th century, the Rockefeller Foundation—funded by the wealth of John D. Rockefeller’s Standard Oil Company—began supporting large-scale projects with long-term societal benefits. Frederick Gates, a consultant to the foundation, initially proposed the creation of a comprehensive university in China. However, the idea was deemed unrealistic at the time. The Foundation subsequently turned its attention to the fields of medicine and public health, particularly in medical education and research.

Both Gates and fellow foundation director Jerome Greene saw China as an ideal region to implement such a vision. In January 1914, following a two-day meeting, the Rockefeller Foundation resolved to undertake medical work in China and dispatched a delegation to conduct a thorough survey.

This delegation received high-level attention in China, meeting with President Yuan Shikai, Vice President Li Yuanhong, and other senior officials. The group visited medical schools and hospitals in Beijing and Tianjin before traveling to Jinan, Hankou, Changsha, Nanjing, Suzhou, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Xiamen, and Taiwan. Detailed reports were compiled by the delegates, and in October 1914, a comprehensive document titled Medicine in China was submitted to the Rockefeller Foundation’s board of directors.

The report analyzed China’s medical landscape, the population’s reception of Western medicine, the activities of foreign religious and non-religious medical institutions, forensic medicine practices, and the education of women in the medical field. The report recommended that the Rockefeller Foundation undertake a large-scale medical initiative in China, centered on a high-caliber medical teaching institution. It suggested establishing such an institution in Beijing and aligning it with the existing Union Medical College, then co-administered by British and American religious organizations. Additional recommendations included providing scholarships for Chinese students to study medicine abroad and offering support for other medical initiatives across China.

The Foundation approved the proposal in November 1914 and created the China Medical Board (CMB) to implement the plan.

Soon after, the CMB reached an agreement with the London Missionary Society to acquire the Peking Union Medical College property in Beijing for $200,000. The institution was renamed Peking Union Medical College, with the CMB pledging an annual budget of $53,000 to establish a medical school comparable to leading institutions in Europe and North America.

Realizing the inadequacy of the existing campus, the Rockefeller Foundation acquired the adjacent estate of Prince Yu for $125,000. An additional $1 million was allocated for land acquisition, construction, and equipment. Ernest Coolidge, the project lead, was deeply inspired by the grandeur of the palace architecture. Upon returning to New York in October, he submitted a preliminary report to the Chinese Medical Committee, featuring sketches and notes on traditional Chinese elements such as tiled roofs and archways.

The final architectural design represented a blend of Western spatial organization and traditional Chinese exterior forms. Though it functioned as a public building, its architectural influence extended well beyond its utilitarian purpose. It provided a pioneering model for merging traditional Chinese aesthetics with modern construction methods.

While the hospital’s exterior retained features typical of Chinese palatial architecture—central symmetry, flying eaves, green-glazed tiled roofs, and marble-style corridors—many decorative components, including eaves and brackets, were constructed using concrete and served only aesthetic purposes. This blend of form and function represented an early, experimental attempt to integrate Chinese national style with modern architectural functionality. Though not a complete success, it was an important and meaningful contribution to architectural innovation in China.

Progress on the CMB’s initiatives was rapid. The preparatory school of Peking Union Medical College opened in September 1917. The medical college officially launched in 1919, with the first cohort of female students entering that same year. In 1921, the college became China’s first coeducational medical institution. A nursing school was also established in 1920. At that time, the college was the most advanced medical school in China and played a leading role in the development of similar institutions nationwide.

All construction and operational funding for the hospital came from John D. Rockefeller, whose philanthropic vision extended to offering scholarships for Chinese medical students to study abroad and training Chinese women as nurse educators in the United States.

Final accounting from the Rockefeller Foundation indicated that the total cost of land, buildings, and equipment for Peking Union Medical College reached $7.5 million—a staggering figure at the time. The Foundation’s cumulative investment in the school, beginning in 1915, eventually reached $44.6 million, marking it as the largest single-project donation in the Foundation’s history.

The hospital was officially inaugurated in September 1921. John D. Rockefeller, Jr. led the delegation to Beijing and delivered the opening address. In his remarks, he expressed hope that the institution would eventually be governed and sustained by the Chinese people themselves. He stated:

“Whatever benefits Western medicine may bring to China will be of little consequence unless it is eventually adopted by the Chinese and made an integral part of their national life. We must look forward to the time when most, if not all, positions at this school are held by Chinese, and when Chinese individuals serve prominently on the board of directors. Ultimately, this school’s funding, currently supported by tuition and foreign donations, should be replaced by contributions from Chinese society and government. Let us work together toward this goal, anchoring the best of Western medicine in Chinese soil.”

One observer at the event described the atmosphere vividly:

“Early autumn in Beijing is especially beautiful. The city’s alleys are no longer dusty or suffocating. In the clean air, the Western Hills appear green and purple. Jingshan Park, with its exquisite pavilions, rises in the foreground. The grand gates of the Imperial City and the gilded rooftops of the Forbidden City shimmer nearby. The green-tiled roof of Prince Yu’s Palace stands just as proudly. That is our new medical school and hospital.”

The college’s first class graduated in 1924.

In April 1929, a new board of directors was elected, featuring prominent Chinese figures including philosopher and diplomat Hu Shi, as well as medical leaders such as Zhang Boling, Wu Chaoshu, Shi Zhaoji, Zhou Yichun, Weng Wenhao, and Liu Ruiheng, who became the institution’s first Chinese president.

Today, the historic buildings that once surrounded the hospital have been demolished, leaving PUMCH standing alone as a striking architectural specimen. Its legacy endures not only through its unique design but also through its influential role in shaping medical education and architectural innovation in modern China.