Wu Juenong Memorial Hall

Wu Juenong Memorial Hall

“The Contemporary Tea Sage” — The Wu Juenong Memorial Hall was jointly initiated and planned by organizations including the China Tea People’s Friendship Association, China National Cereals, Oils and Foodstuffs Corporation (COFCO) Tea Company, Shanghai Tea Science Society, Shanghai Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Association, the Shanghai Liaison Office of the Wu Juenong Tea Science Thought Research Association, and Shanghai Four Seas Tea Culture Development Co., Ltd. The proposal was warmly responded to and supported by over 20 tea industry representatives at the preparatory meeting held on August 28, 2004. After three expert review sessions on January 21, March 15, and March 17, 2005, with the participation of 18 organizations, the hall finally opened on April 14, 2005, the 108th birthday (a traditional tea longevity age) of Mr. Wu Juenong, following the collective efforts of all involved.

The Wu Juenong Memorial Hall is located within the “Hundred Buddhas Garden,” covering an area of over 30 acres at No. 1978 Cao’an Road, Shanghai. This Ming-Qing style memorial building spans over 400 square meters and displays more than 200 precious photos and material items such as manuscripts and books related to Mr. Wu’s revolutionary and tea industry activities during his lifetime. It also houses materials from academic activities where tea enthusiasts from around the country studied, researched, and promoted Wu Juenong’s tea science thought. The memorial hall also features a video room that plays specialized documentaries.

The Wu Juenong Memorial Hall serves as a base for patriotic education among youth, a classroom for promoting the outstanding culture of the Chinese nation, and also a uniquely cultural and historical tourist attraction.

The Shanghai Wu Juenong Memorial Hall is situated in a lush, green garden near the Outer Ring Road. It shares the space with the Four Seas Teapot Museum within the Hundred Buddhas Garden, established by Mr. Xu Sihai. It fully reflects the deep reverence and remembrance that Chinese tea professionals hold for the Contemporary Tea Sage, vividly showcasing the splendid, continuous, and enduring tea culture passed down through the millennia from Shennong to Lu Yu to Wu Juenong.

Ascending to the second floor of the Ming-Qing style building in the Hundred Buddhas Hall, visitors are greeted by a life-like white marble-like statue of Old Man Wu. His kind and amiable gaze watches over those who come to pay their respects. Surrounded by greenery and standing under the towering Hundred Buddhas Pagoda, one can truly feel the brilliance of Mr. Wu’s legacy — his early name change to “Juenong” (Awaken to Agriculture), his determination to revitalize agriculture, and his lifelong love and dedication to tea, reflecting his noble character and outstanding achievements.

The Wu Juenong Memorial Hall displays over 200 precious photos, manuscripts, books, and other material items related to Mr. Wu’s revolutionary and tea industry activities during his lifetime.

Transportation

Address: No. 1978 Cao’an Road, Jiading District, Shanghai

Transportation: Jiajiang Special Line, Lu’an Special Line, Route 860, Route 561, Beian Line, Route 740 Interval

Wu Juenong (1897–1989), originally named Rongtang, was from Shangyu County, Zhejiang Province. He was a renowned agronomist and a founding figure in China’s modern tea industry. After graduating from elementary school in Shangyu County, he began studying at Jianqiao Advanced Agricultural School in 1914, graduating first in his class from the Agricultural Research Department in 1916. From 1916 to 1919, he stayed on as an assistant instructor at Zhejiang Advanced Agricultural School.

China has a long history of tea production, and tea is one of the country’s major exported agricultural products. To study advanced science and revitalize the tea industry, Wu Juenong... [Wu Juenong detailed information++]