Former Site of Neishan Bookstore

Former Site of Neishan Bookstore

The former site of Neishan Bookstore is a protected cultural heritage site of Shanghai.

The former site of Neishan Bookstore is a Western-style structure with a false third floor, facing south and situated on a north-south axis. It is located at No. 2050 North Sichuan Road, near the southern entrance of Tien'ai Road, with Shanyin Road to the east.

The bookstore was named after Japanese friend Uchiyama Kanzō. This native of Okayama, Japan, born in 1885, was sent to Shanghai in March 1913 by Osaka-based pharmaceutical company Santen to promote eye medications, and in 1917, he and his wife founded this bookstore here.

According to historical records, Neishan Bookstore primarily sold Japanese-language books at the time. In the late 1920s, it began distributing large quantities of publications such as the "Complete Modern Japanese Literature," "Complete Economics," "Complete Works of Marx and Engels," "Complete World Literature," and "Complete Popular Literature" issued by Japan's Kaizō Publishing House. Books in the store were openly displayed, allowing readers to browse freely. The shop had long benches and tables where visitors could sit and read. To help customers find new titles, the store also printed and supplied “New Book Introductions,” which made it very popular among readers.

Due to the bookstore’s unique status, it became a haven for progressive culture and intellectuals at the time. Many well-known figures, such as Lu Xun and his wife, Guo Moruo, Tao Xingzhi, Zhou Jianren, and Xia Mianzun, received protection there. The store not only sold a large volume of progressive literature, including Marxist works, but also distributed books banned by authorities and handled progressive literary works like "The Iron Flood." Starting from 1932, it became the distribution agent for Lu Xun’s works. As a result, during the 1930s in Shanghai, a rather curious phenomenon emerged — books you couldn’t find in Chinese bookstores, you could buy at Neishan Bookstore; books Chinese shops dared not sell, Neishan Bookstore would.

Neishan Bookstore was an important place for Lu Xun’s activities in Shanghai during his later years. The current site at No. 2050 North Sichuan Road was built in 1928. Japanese friend Uchiyama Kanzō founded the bookstore in 1917 and moved it here in 1929. In the 1930s, when most left-wing progressive books were banned by the Nationalist government, Neishan Bookstore, under the protection of extraterritorial rights, became the main venue for selling such literature. Lu Xun often visited to buy books, meet guests, and even took refuge here for a time, making the bookstore a bridge for cultural exchange between China and Japan.

In the 16th year of the Republic of China (1927), Guo Moruo sought refuge in Shanghai following the April 12 Incident and once stayed at Neishan Bookstore; after the failure of the Nanchang Uprising, he was once again sheltered by the bookstore. From March 19 to April 19 of the 19th year of the Republic of China (1930), Lu Xun, who was wanted for joining organizations like the League for the Freedom of the Arts and the League of Left-Wing Writers, took shelter at the bookstore. On January 30 of the 21st year of the Republic of China (1932), Lu Xun sought refuge again at the bookstore due to the January 28 Incident. After the outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War, the bookstore helped rescue cultural figures such as Xia Mianzun and Xu Guangping, who had been arrested by the Japanese Kempeitai. In the 31st year of the Republic of China (1942), it was tasked with taking over British and American bookstore companies in Shanghai. In October of the 34th year of the Republic of China (1945), the bookstore was taken over by Qianweishi’s Frontline Bookstore.

The site is now part of the Shanyin Road Branch of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, Hongkou District Branch.

On August 26, 1980, the former site of Neishan Bookstore was designated as a municipal-level cultural relic memorial site.

As a result, it became a place where Lu Xun bought books, read, and even met guests in his later years, fostering a deep friendship with Mr. Uchiyama and becoming a celebrated episode in the history of modern Chinese literature. After the war, Mr. Uchiyama, as a national of an enemy country, was ordered to return to Japan. The Neishan Bookstore, considered enemy property, was confiscated, shut down, and repurposed.

Location

2050 North Sichuan Road, Shanghai