Former Residence of Wang Baihan

Former Residence of Wang Baihan

The Former Residence of Wang Baihan is a cultural tourism attraction.

Former Residence of Wang Baihan

Wang Baihan (1871–1944), courtesy name Xie, art name Dongyin, also known as Monk Wuxiang, was originally from Lishui. He taught at universities for over 30 years and achieved great mastery in Sinology, poetry, and calligraphy. His moral character and scholarly works were widely praised, earning him the title of “a master scholar of his generation.”

Professor Wang lived a life of simplicity but remained fiercely principled. On the eve of the Japanese occupation of Nanjing, his family had fallen into extreme poverty and relied on selling their book collection to make ends meet. However, when he learned that the high bidder for his books was the collaborator Chen Qun, he immediately took them back and refused to sell. The puppet regime offered him a high salary to join, but he chose starvation over betraying his country. Notably, before his death, upon hearing that those carrying his coffin would have to bow to Japanese soldiers, he instructed his family to bury the coffin in the backyard and place the gravestone inside the house.

The Former Residence of Wang Baihan, located at No. 98 Bianying on the east side of Zhonghua Gate in Nanjing, has been restored and turned into the “Wang Baihan & Zhou Fagao Memorial Hall” (father-in-law and son-in-law). Inside the residence, banana plants and green bamboo complement each other. The east room served as Wang Baihan’s bedroom during his lifetime, with the desk, table, bed, and cabinet still arranged as they were, simple and spotless. In the open space behind the house, there is a Lushan pine tree—a relic from the professor’s time—which offers a glimpse into his noble character. A couplet on the gate reads: “Cultivate virtue amidst green mountain stones, befriend the branches of blue pines.”

“Great teachers produce great students.” Wang Baihan’s students—including Chen Yinke, Lu Jiyeh, Tang Guizhang, as well as Taiwan’s Chang Chi-yun, Gao Ming, and his later son-in-law—all became experts and scholars in various fields.

Mr. Wang Baihan (1871–1944), also known as Boqian, in his later years called himself Dongyin, and used other aliases such as Hang Yi, Bohan, Bohan, and Monk Wuxiang, was a renowned Sinology master from the late Qing Dynasty to the Republican era. He taught at institutions including the Liangjiang Normal School, Nanjing Higher Normal School, Jinling Women’s University, and the Central University (renamed Nanjing University in 1949).

Biography

Mr. Wang Baihan lived through the transition from the late Qing Dynasty to the Republic of China. He once served as a private tutor for the family of the Lingnan scholar Chen Yinke and his brothers, and interacted with many notable scholars and public figures of the time. 18…… More details about Wang Baihan ++