Founded in 1905, “No. 79 Fenyang Road Building” adopts the architectural style from the later period of the French Renaissance. This building has two floors and another half of its floor is used as the basement. This building is in the masonry and wood structure with a construction area of 1496 square meters. There is a large garden in the south of the main building. There is a crescent-shaped pool between the lawn and wood and there is an island in the middle of the pool. It has high landscape appreciation value. It was the former residence of the director of the Municipal Council in the French concession. After the Second World War, it was used as the first office of the World Health Organization Asian-Pacific Region. In 1964, it has housed the collection of the Shanghai Museum of Arts and Crafts. In 1989, it was rated as one of the first outstanding historical buildings and culture relic protection sites. Due to its beautiful environment and traditional Chinese arts and crafts connotation, it has attracted many distinguished foreign state heads, chiefs of government, important officials and celebrities to visit it, including the former president Ronald Reagan, former British Primer Minister Heath, Burma Prime Minister U Nu, Indonesia, Sukarno first lady, Thailand's queen and princess, Muhammad Ali and so on. It makes this famous historical and cultural relics enjoy a high reputation both at home and abroad.
Currently, it has become Shanghai Museum of Arts and Crafts.
