Left-Wing Writers' League Memorial Hall

Left-Wing Writers' League Memorial Hall

Former site of the "Founding Congress of the Chinese Left-Wing Writers' League": Located at No. 2, Lane 201, Duolun Road (present-day address), the site was originally the campus of the China Arts University. It is a three-story Western-style house facing south, built with brick and wood. The building has a front garden and is enclosed by a wall. On March 2, 1930, under the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party, the founding congress of the Chinese Left-Wing Writers' League was held here. Over 50 people attended the meeting. Pan Hannian delivered a speech on behalf of the Party, and Lu Xun gave a lecture titled "Opinions on the Left-Wing Writers' League." The congress elected Lu Xun, Shen Duanxian, Qian Yingcun, Tian Han, Zheng Boqi, and Hong Lingfei as standing committee members, with Zhou Quanping and Jiang Guangci as alternate members.

The congress passed the theoretical and action programs of the Left-Wing Writers' League. It also established research associations including Marxist Literary Theory, Caricature Studies, International Culture, and Popular Literature. The membership of the Left-Wing Writers' League grew from an initial 50-plus members to around 300. Branch leagues were established in cities such as Beiping (now Beijing), Guangzhou, and Tokyo, Japan. Its official publications included Sprout, Pioneer, Vanguard, and Big Dipper. In the same year, it joined the International Revolutionary Writers' Union. In 1936, the league was dissolved in order to establish the "Anti-Japanese National United Front in the Literary and Art Circles."

The Chinese Left-Wing Writers' League was a revolutionary literary group led by the Chinese Communist Party, with Lu Xun as its leading figure. It achieved remarkable accomplishments in inheriting the tradition of the May Fourth New Literature movement, introducing and disseminating Marxist literary theory, advocating proletarian revolutionary literature, cultivating a progressive literary community, producing works that reflected the spirit of the times, and breaking the cultural “encirclement and suppression.” It has written a glorious chapter in the history of modern Chinese literature and the history of revolution.

The Left-Wing Writers' League Memorial Hall is a protected cultural heritage site in Shanghai. After the liberation, there was a period when No. 145 Duolun Road was mistakenly identified as the league’s headquarters. Thanks to photographs provided by Xu Xingzhi, it was confirmed that No. 2, Lane 201, Duolun Road was the actual site. The name of the memorial hall was inscribed by Xia Zhengnong, a veteran member of the Left-Wing Writers' League and former leader of the Shanghai Municipal Committee. The Left-Wing Writers' League Memorial Hall was established in October 1989. With funding from the Hongkou District People's Government, the Hongkou District Bureau of Culture, and social donations, the memorial hall was renovated and opened at No. 145 Duolun Road.

In 2001, the Left-Wing Writers' League Memorial relocated back to its original site at No. 2, Lane 201, Duolun Road. The Hongkou District People's Government increased efforts to protect the historical site, allocating several million yuan to relocate residents from within the building at No. 2, Lane 201, Duolun Road—the original site of the league’s founding congress. The Shanghai Municipal Cultural Relics Management Committee also allocated special funds to carry out comprehensive restoration and renovation based on the principle of “restoring the old as it was.” Among this, the Shanghai Cultural Relics Management Committee invested over one million yuan to renovate the entire structure following the principle of restoring the original appearance, while the Hongkou District People's Government was responsible for relocating residents and constructing the basic exhibition layout of the Left-Wing Writers' League historical exhibition hall. In 2001, the Left-Wing Writers' League Memorial relocated back to its original site at No. 2, Lane 201, Duolun Road, and officially opened to the public on December 8 of the same year.

The new exhibition hall redesigned the original displays, covering a total area of 267 square meters. The first floor houses the original site of the founding congress, while the second floor contains the exhibition space. The exhibition is divided into four major sections: "Founding & Journey," "Literary Achievements," "Martyrdom & Sacrifice," and "Commemoration & Research." Centered around the theme of advancing the direction of progressive culture, the exhibition makes full use of the museum’s precious collections, supplemented by modern display techniques such as slides, videos, films, sound control, and fiber optics to vividly and comprehensively present the activities and achievements of the Left-Wing Writers' League during its six years from founding to dissolution.

Form follows content. To emphasize the literary character of the memorial, the Left-Wing Writers' League Memorial Hall designed its display panels in the shape of open books, using the covers of the league’s official publications as background elements to enhance the atmosphere.

As we entered the 21st century, computers, audiovisual effects, and multimedia functions became important components of modern memorial exhibitions. The newly built Left-Wing Writers' League historical exhibition made full use of an organic integration of computer multimedia and display methods to best meet the needs of visitors.

Although the Left-Wing Writers' League Memorial Hall is small in scale, it closely follows the design concepts of world-class museums, featuring ingenious and unique design approaches and exquisitely executed displays. Among memorial exhibitions of similar size nationwide, it remains at the forefront and will play a positive role in promoting spiritual civilization and patriotic education.