Zhang Chongren Memorial Hall

Zhang Chongren Memorial Hall

The Zhang Chongren Memorial Hall serves as a patriotic education base.

The Zhang Chongren Memorial Hall is situated at the foot of Puhuitang Bridge in Qibao Town, the hometown of Mr. Zhang Chongren. The museum spans 600 square meters and is built in the Ming and Qing architectural style. With its white walls, black tiles, upturned eaves, and intricately carved windows, the design is fresh yet preserves a traditional charm. The valuable exhibits are accessible and appealing to both refined and general audiences. The preface in the lobby was authored by Wang Liping, Chairman of the Shanghai Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, who highly commended Mr. Zhang Chongren's patriotism, love for his hometown, pursuit of art, and unyielding spirit in scaling new heights. A bronze statue of Zhang Chongren is a masterpiece created by his disciple, the sculptor Yan Youren. The exhibition rooms are arranged according to different stages of Mr. Zhang’s life, featuring six sections: “Early Steps in the Art World,” “An Eastern Talent,” “Studio Life,” “Sculpture Over the Years,” “Splendid Sunset Years,” and “Virtue and Art Leave a Lasting Fragrance.” These sections display rich and detailed texts, photos, as well as representative paintings and sculptures, showcasing Mr. Zhang Chongren’s artistic life and outstanding creative achievements.

Zhang Chongren (1907–1998) was born in Shanghai in 1907. In 1914, he entered the photography and plate-making workshop at Tushanwan Art Factory, where he studied sketching and French under an Irish mentor. In 1931, he went to the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Brussels, Belgium, to study sculpture.

He graduated in 1935 and was awarded a gold medal by the Brussels municipal government. He traveled across France, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, and Italy.

After returning to China in 1936, he held solo exhibitions of his paintings and sculptures in Shanghai and founded the “Chongren Art Studio,” engaging in art education and creation. From the 1950s to the 1980s, he taught at the Sculpture Department of the Shanghai Art College and the Shanghai Oil Painting and Sculpture Institute. In 1981, he was invited to visit Belgium. In 1985, he went to France to give lectures and became a French citizen. He passed away in France in 1998 at the age of 93. Zhang Chongren served as the honorary director and first-class artist of the Shanghai Oil Painting and Sculpture Institute. He was also a member of the China Artists Association and excelled in sculpture and oil painting. His sculptures “Halted Voyage” and “Little Eighth Route Army Soldier” are both housed in the Military Museum of the Chinese People’s Revolution. He published Selected Sculptures of Zhang Chongren and Selected Watercolors of Zhang Chongren, and authored Byzantine Art and Issues on Painting Colors. He also translated Artistic Human Anatomy and Messec’s Sculpture. His oil paintings are permanently collected by the National Art Museum of China in Beijing. He sculpted portraits of notable figures including Qi Baishi, Chiang Kai-shek, - , and French President François Mitterrand. His handprints are preserved in the French National Art Collection, an honor shared only with Auguste Rodin and Pablo Picasso.

Address: No. 75, Puxi Plaza, Qibao Ancient Town, Shanghai (Baonan Road & Baosheng Road)

Type: Memorial Hall

Recommended Visiting Time: About 1 hour

Phone: 021-54866011; 021-64591780

Official Website: http://www.mhlib.sh.cn/zhangchongren/default.asp

Opening Hours:

9:00-16:00

Ticket Information:

Free admission. Tickets required for entry: 100 in the morning, 100 in the afternoon.