Former Site of the Shrine of the War God

Former Site of the Shrine of the War God

The former site of the Shrine of the War God is a cultural relic protection unit of Jilin Province.

Jilin University’s “Mingfang Palace” is located in a corner of Mudan Garden in Changchun City, Jilin Province. It sits to the east of Renmin Avenue, north of Dongzhonghua Road, west of Tongzhi Street, and faces Jiefang Avenue across the library of the North Qianwei Campus to the south. “Mingfang Palace” is a structure built during the puppet Manchukuo period and was then called the Shrine of the War God.

Historical records indicate that the project cost 1.4 million in puppet Manchukuo currency, employed 67,455 laborers, took over 13 months to complete, and was finished on October 31, 1940. The building adopts traditional Japanese architectural forms. It features a large black ceramic-tiled roof, snow-white walls, and a granite base.

The structure is made of reinforced concrete, and the main hall’s roof uses a steel truss. The main part of the building includes a semi-basement and partial surrounding corridors. The total floor area is 5,245 square meters, including 2,189 square meters for the semi-basement, 2,829 square meters for the first floor, and 158 square meters for the partial mezzanine corridor. The total height of the building is 22.04 meters. It served as a place for Japanese people to practice martial arts and worship Emperor Jimmu.

Mingfang Palace could accommodate nearly 2,000 people. School-wide faculty and student meetings, academic discussions, cultural performances, and film screenings were all held here. University leaders such as President Kuang Yaming and later President Tang Aoqing often presided over gatherings and delivered speeches at Mingfang Palace. It was once the center of the school’s political, academic, and cultural activities. The annual welcome ceremony for new students and graduation ceremonies were also held here. The area in front of Mingfang Palace became the best spot for graduates to take commemorative photos with school, department leaders, and teachers. Mingfang Palace left indelible and profound memories for tens of thousands of our students. In 1963, when President Kuang Yaming was transferred to become president of Nanjing University, he wrote a farewell poem, one line of which reads: “Shaking off my robes, I smile toward Mingfang Palace.” This line alone speaks volumes about the deep affection the entire school community holds for Mingfang Palace.

On September 3, 1990, the People's Government of Changchun City designated the “Former Site of the Japanese Shrine of the War God” as a “Changchun Municipal Key Cultural Relic Protection Unit.”