Cheng Shifa Art Museum

Cheng Shifa Art Museum

The Cheng Shifa Art Museum is designated as a patriotic education base.

The Cheng Shifa Art Museum, established in honor of the renowned Chinese Haipai traditional Chinese painting master Cheng Shifa (1921–2007), is located at the eastern end of Huating Old Street in the old town of Songjiang. It officially opened on April 10, 2009, the 88th anniversary of Cheng Shifa’s birth. Covering an area of 2,541 square meters, the museum is housed in ancient Ming and Qing dynasty buildings. Its entrance features upturned eaves and brick carvings, while the right side of the gate displays a golden relief inscription reading “Cheng Shifa Art Museum”; the left side features a stone carving of Cheng Shifa’s self-portrait and calligraphy.

The Cheng Shifa Art Museum consists of six sections: the Biography Exhibition Area, the Authentic Works Display Area, the Living Scene Area, the Public Exhibition Area, the Art Seminar Area, and the Administrative Office Area. Among these, the Authentic Works Display Area exhibits 80 ancient masterpieces and Cheng Shifa’s own works that he donated to his hometown in November 2005, and it also recreates the living environment of Cheng Shifa’s family home in Songjiang from 1923 to 1951.

The historic buildings of the Cheng Shifa Art Museum share deep connections with Cheng Shifa. The Biography Exhibition Area is located in the Qu Residence, whose owner, Qu Jikang, was a close friend of Cheng Shifa in his youth. The two once performed together in the Peking Opera “Empty City Stratagem” in Songjiang in 1946. The Authentic Works Display Area is situated in the side courtyard of the Wang Residence, owned by Wang Zhishan. In 1938, Cheng Shifa enrolled in the Traditional Chinese Painting Department of Shanghai Art College from Songjiang; in 1940, he married his classmate Zhang Jinqi on the upstairs corridor of the Wang Residence; in 1950, he created his first comic strip, “The Wild Boar Forest,” here, followed by several others. The building of the Public Exhibition Area is the former residence of Yuan Chang, who had no direct residential ties with Cheng Shifa, but Cheng had long admired him through reading the “Biography of Yuan Chang.” Yuan Chang, a successful candidate in the imperial examination during the Guangxu era, opposed Empress Dowager Cixi’s plan to attack foreign embassies. When the Eight-Nation Alliance advanced toward Beijing and Zaiyi falsely reported victory, Yuan Chang submitted a memorial exposing the truth and was executed. Cheng Shifa once remarked, “The owner of the old house next door to mine, Yuan Chang, was an extraordinary figure of the Qing dynasty.”

The site of the Cheng Shifa Art Museum was personally chosen by Cheng Shifa himself when he returned to his hometown in 2005. He said, “My ancestral home was in Fengjing Town, Lu County, Songjiang Prefecture (now Fengjing Town, Jinshan District), and my former residence was in the city of Songjiang. The Wang Residence is my hometown, the home where I lived for decades.” He also expressed his wish to donate the last batch of precious paintings and his own works to Songjiang, the place that nurtured him. To respect Cheng Shifa’s wishes, the museum has a dedicated Authentic Works Display Area. Moreover, the design style of the museum combines with Cheng Shifa’s amiable demeanor, presenting a simple yet profound aesthetic that harmonizes rustic charm with artistic meaning.

A bronze statue of Cheng Shifa is placed in the front hall of the museum, with the background of a stone arch bridge in Songjiang, creating the impression that Cheng Shifa is walking down the bridge. The Biography Exhibition Area is organized based on the recollections of Cheng Shifa’s eldest son, Cheng Zhu, along with historical materials, showcasing numerous precious historical photos, personal belongings, and original publications of Cheng Shifa’s works.

The inscriptions on the ceremonial gate, couplets, and floor patterns of the museum not only reflect the cultural heritage of Songjiang but also closely resonate with Cheng Shifa’s cultural tastes. The “Lujiang Ink Pond” scene originates from Cheng Shifa’s fondness for painting the four-lobed perch of Songjiang, and his frequent use of signatures such as “Luzhou Person,” “Yunjian Cheng Shifa,” and “Songjiang Person.”

The large brick relief mural in the museum square depicts dozens of cultural figures, including Lu Ji and Lu Yun of the Jin Dynasty, Zhao Mengfu of the Yuan Dynasty, the Four Masters of the late Yuan Dynasty, Dong Qichang and Chen Jiru of the Ming Dynasty, and Cheng Shifa. Titled “Ink Bonds,” the mural showcases Songjiang’s continuous legacy of cultural figures throughout history.

Transportation

Address: No. 458, Zhongshan Middle Road, Songjiang District, Shanghai (eastern end of Huating Old Street, near Renmin Road)

Take the Songmei Special Line (Songjiang–Southwest Bus Station, Meilong), Hu-Song Special Line, etc., to Songjiang Ledu Road Bus Station, then transfer to Songjiang Route 2 to reach Huating Old Street; take the train (Shanghai–Hangzhou line) and use Songjiang Routes 5, 8, or 9 at the train station to get to Huating Old Street; at the East Bus Station, take Songjiang Routes 2, 3, 4, or 11 to reach Huating Old Street.

Self-driving route: Inner Ring Elevated Road – HuMin Elevated Road – Xinzhuang Interchange – G60 Shanghai–Kunming Expressway – Songjiang Exit – Rongle Middle Road – Renmin North Road – Zhongshan Middle Road (Huating Old Street).

Type: Art Museum

Recommended visiting time: About 1 hour

Phone: 021-57721588; 021-57712019

Official Website: http://www.chengshifa.com.cn/

Opening Hours:

Closed on Mondays; open Tuesday–Sunday: 9:00–16:30 (last entry at 16:00).

Ticket Information:

Free admission.

“Ask me whether I favor the Southern or Northern School — all schools, East or West, ancient or modern, are one. My method follows nature, returning to primal simplicity; one stroke completes, and all things become void.” This is a verse on painting by Cheng Shifa. In these few words, his creative consciousness that respects tradition yet is not confined by it, his individualistic spirit of “being myself, existing uniquely,” and his artistic ideal of returning to simplicity are reflected. Perhaps, born in the culturally rich soil of Songjiang, Shanghai, he showed exceptional talent and creativity from childhood. While studying at Shanghai Art College, he refused to simply copy ancient works, resulting in the lowest scores and being considered unteachable — a price he was willing to pay. Later on, when... More details about Cheng Shifa ++