Red Building of Peking University

Red Building of Peking University

The Red Building of Peking University is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Commonly referred to as the "Red Building," it is often cited as the "Peking University Red Building" or the "Shatan Red Building." The Red Building was one of the main campus buildings of Peking University from 1916 to 1952. Originally the First College Building of Peking University, the entire structure is built with red bricks and topped with red tiles, hence its name. Construction began in 1916 and was completed in 1918. The Red Building was one of the earliest important sites in modern Chinese history for spreading Marxism and the ideas of democracy and science. During the May Fourth Movement in 1919, the Red Building and the playground to its north were the birthplaces of anti-imperialist activities.

The Red Building of Peking University is located at No. 29, Shatan North Street (now Wusi Avenue), Dongcheng District, Beijing. It was one of the old campus buildings of Peking University, originally named the "Imperial University of Peking." It sits east of Jingshan Park, north of the Palace Museum, north of Wusi Road, and west of the National Art Museum of China. In 1952, after the nationwide restructuring of university departments, Peking University moved to the Yan Garden in the western suburbs. Since then, the Red Building has served as the office building of the National Cultural Relics Bureau and is now the Museum of the New Culture Movement in Beijing.

Revolutionary History of the Red Building

After 1918, figures such as -, Li Dazhao, Lu Xun, and Hu Shi successively taught or held positions here. During his tenure as director of the Peking University Library in the Red Building

Li Dazhao organized the "Marxism Research Society" and published many articles promoting Marxism in New Youth and Weekly Review. Shortly after the May Fourth Movement, Li Dazhao and others established the first communist group in northern China in the Red Building, making it the center of revolutionary activities in the north. There are two east-facing rooms in the southeast corner of the first floor, which were Li Dazhao’s office at the time. Mr. Lu Xun, who was hired to teach at Peking University in 1920, lectured in the Red Building for six years, teaching new culture and new ideas and nurturing many revolutionary youths. Other notable figures such as Deng Zhongxia also engaged in revolutionary activities here. There are two west-facing rooms in the southeast corner of the first floor, which were the offices of Comrade Li Dazhao.

In early 1918, Li Dazhao established China’s first Marxism research group here. On May 4, 1919, students from the Red Building set out for Tiananmen to hold a --. Later, the square to the north of the Red Building became a gathering place for Beijing students’ revolutionary movements on multiple occasions. From 1919 to 1920, Mao Zedong worked in the library inside the building. Lu Xun’s lounge, during his time as a professor in the Department of Chinese Literature at Peking University, was located opposite the staircase on the second floor. Many renowned scholars and progressive intellectuals gave lectures here. The site also hosted numerous reformist groups such as the New Tide Society, National Magazine Society, New Literature Research Association, and Philosophy Research Association. Progressive publications such as New Tide, National, and Weekly Review were printed and published in the printing house located in the basement of the Red Building. With such profound historical and cultural roots, the "Peking University Red Building" has remained a focal point through the ages, becoming one of the iconic buildings of China’s New Culture Movement. In 1953, Peking University completely relocated to the western suburbs. In early May 1984, a "Red Building Memorial Plaque" was installed.

Significance

Not long ago, the "Red Building" gained another plaque — the Museum of the New Culture Movement in Beijing. The museum has restored the Red Building of Peking University

to include Li Dazhao’s former office, the newspaper reading room where Mao Zedong worked, and student classrooms, among others. According to the person in charge of the museum, the restored Li Dazhao Office on the original site largely retains its appearance from that time, with the desk, chair, and the desk bell said to be original items from that period.

The newly arranged periodicals exhibition room displays over 20 types of journals and magazines from the May Fourth New Culture Movement period, collected by the Museum of the Chinese Revolution. The New Culture Movement exhibition room, through more than 90 photos and over 60 cultural relics, authentically recreates the historical landscape of the New Culture Movement and vividly illustrates its historical significance and tremendous role in China’s revolutionary journey and social development.

It is reported that this museum was established by the Museum of the Chinese Revolution with strong support from central and national authorities. Its purpose is to help more people understand and remember the historical achievements of the New Culture Movement, and to provide a classroom for patriotic education, especially for young people.

Extended Reading:

· First Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units

·First Group of Major National Historical and Cultural Sites