Former Residence of Xu Beihong in Nanjing

Former Residence of Xu Beihong in Nanjing

The former residence of Xu Beihong is a cultural heritage site protected by Nanjing Municipality.

The former residence of Xu Beihong is located at No. 4 Fu Hougang, Nanjing, and was built in December 1932. It is an exquisitely designed two-story building featuring a living room, dining room, bedrooms, an art studio, bathrooms, and toilets, as well as a spacious courtyard. At that time, the courtyard had two tall poplar trees several zhang high, enclosed by a bamboo fence.

Xu Beihong (1895–1953), from Yixing, Jiangsu Province, was originally named Shoukang, later changed to Huangfu, and then to Beihong. In 1919, he went to study in France and became proficient in both Chinese and Western painting, particularly renowned for his horse paintings. He was one of the founders of modern art education in China. During his lifetime, he served as Dean of the Beijing Art College, President of the Beijing Art School, President of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, and Chairman of the All-China Federation of Artists.

In 1928, Xu Beihong was appointed as a professor in the Art Department of the Central University. The following May, he and his wife Jiang Biwei moved from Shanghai to Nanjing, initially staying in a large dormitory-like compound at Shi Popo'an, which only had two rooms. Two or three months later, they moved into a second-floor apartment in the Central University dormitory on Danfeng Street near Gulou. This was an old two-story building with eight rooms per floor, housing four families. Xu Beihong and his wife lived upstairs with Mr. Xie Shoukang, while Mr. He Zhaoqing and Mr. Zeng Zhaolun lived downstairs. Xu Beihong was allocated four rooms, and Jiang Biwei’s parents also lived with them. The space was quite cramped, and there was no proper area for painting, so Xu Beihong had to paint in two studios specially prepared for him by the Art Department of the Central University, which was rather inconvenient.

In 1931, with the help and encouragement of figures such as Wu Zhihui, Niu Yongjian, Li Shizeng, and Huang Yingbai, Xu Beihong purchased two acres of overgrown land at Fu Hougang. The following year, he raised funds to build a Western-style two-story house with a studio. The architect of the building was Engineer Bian, whose wife was Xu Beihong’s student.

The building has a depth of ten meters. On the right side is Xu Beihong’s studio, which is ten meters deep, approximately 8.33 meters wide, and about 5.33 meters high, designed entirely according to Xu Beihong’s painting needs. On the left are two floors of living quarters, with a staircase at the entrance. Upstairs, there are two rooms: a bedroom and a bathroom. Downstairs, there is a front living room and a rear dining room.

When Xu Beihong moved into the new residence, more than a year had passed since the September 18 Incident, and the country was in great peril with people living in hardship. Faced with this national situation, Xu Beihong planned to name the new home “Danger Nest” (Weichao), symbolizing the idea of “staying vigilant in times of peace.” He wrote in “Notes on the Danger Nest”: “The ancients taught us to stay vigilant in times of peace. Especially in times of disaster and chaos, when we must endure hardships and strengthen ourselves, how could we forget the danger? That is the meaning behind the name.” However, because Jiang Biwei thought it was inauspicious, the idea was dropped.

As soon as you enter the new residence, there is a large courtyard with two tall poplar trees located just to the right of the studio, providing shade from the western sun. Jiang Biwei planted flowers and trees in the yard, such as plum blossoms, peach blossoms, roses, and begonia. Along the cement path from the gate to the main house, she planted several weeping willows, and along the roadside and inside the walls on either side, she interspersed locust trees and plane trees. These plants and flowers adorned the courtyard with vibrant colors, making it a delightful sight. The interior was furnished in a French style, giving off an air of elegance and luxury. Yet, this refined environment did not bring much joy to Xu Beihong; instead, it filled him with melancholy and sorrow.

As is well known, Xu Beihong and Jiang Biwei had a rather disharmonious relationship after marriage. Over time, the gap between them grew wider. Jiang Biwei indulged in socializing and luxury, while Xu Beihong devoted himself to the art of painting. It is said that at the time, Xu Beihong, who taught at the Art Department of the Central University, greatly admired the talent of his female student Sun Duoci, and their teacher-student relationship became very close. When Jiang Biwei found out, she caused a huge scandal with her angry outbursts. What angered Xu Beihong even more was that after the new residence was completed, Sun Duoci, as a student, sent a hundred maple saplings to embellish the courtyard—an ordinary gesture. Unexpectedly, when Jiang Biwei learned of it, she flew into a rage and ordered the servant to chop the saplings for firewood. Heartbroken, Xu Beihong referred to the new residence as the “No-Maple Hall” (Wufeng Tang) and the studio as the “No-Maple Studio,” and even carved a seal titled “No-Maple Hall” to commemorate the past.

During the War of Resistance against Japan, Xu Beihong went west alone, and Jiang Biwei followed persistently. With no hope of reconciliation, the two lived separately for a long time, as if strangers. After that, Xu Beihong never returned to live here again.

During the war, Jiang Biwei entrusted No. 4 Fu Hougang to her German friends, Mr. and Mrs. Li Tiandan. Later, when the Li couple moved west, they left the house in the care of their longtime servant, Li Yuan. As a result, except for the two tall poplar trees in the courtyard being cut down and the interior belongings being completely emptied, the house at No. 4 Fu Hougang remained largely intact during the eight years of the Nanjing occupation.

Shortly after Japan’s surrender, with the testimony of the famous patriotic lawyer Shen Junru, Xu and Jiang agreed to a divorce. It is said that among Jiang Biwei’s divorce conditions—aside from demanding a large number of paintings and a substantial sum of money—was also the request for Xu Beihong to give her the residence at No. 4 Fu Hougang. Xu Beihong readily agreed and subsequently married Liao Jingwen. In the same year, Jiang Biwei returned to Nanjing from Chongqing. Because Li Yuan had privately rented the house to the British military attaché at the Chinese Embassy, Jiang Biwei had to temporarily stay in the office building of Zhang Daofan at the Cultural Movement Committee on Xiangpu Camp until November 1946, when she finally moved back home.

On January 24, 1949, Jiang Biwei left Nanjing, forever departing from her beloved home.

Address: No. 4 Fu Hougang, Xuanwu District, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province

Transportation: Take bus routes 26, 30, 46, 47, or 52 in Nanjing City and get off at Fu Hougang Station.