Built in 1906, the building is among the oldest surviving part of the zoo. The site served chiefly as an experimental farm back in the early 20th century, where the zoo only occupied a small portion of the land in the eastern part of the current zoo ground. The farm also once housed a botanical garden and was the first public park in northern China. Originally functioned as the administration office of the farm, the building has been transformed into a visitor center. It was listed as a "Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level" (similar to a National Historical Landmark in the US) along with other historical buildings of the zoo in 2006, the only zoo buildings in China with such status.
