Former Residence of Xu Xingzhi

Former Residence of Xu Xingzhi

The former residence of Xu Xingzhi is a cultural heritage site protected by the Yangzhou Municipal Government.

Former Residence of Xu Xingzhi

Located at Nos. 38 and 40 Banjing Lane, it was the former home of Xu Xingzhi, a contemporary oil painter, art theorist, and literary figure. Xu Xingzhi (1904–1991), a native of Yangzhou, once served as the head of the Western Painting Department and an associate professor at Shanghai Zhonghua Art Academy. He participated in the Left-Wing Cultural Movement and was elected chairman of the Chinese Left-Wing Artists' Alliance. Later, he went to the liberated areas in northern Jiangsu, where he helped establish the Central China Branch of the "Lu Xun Academy of Fine Arts" and taught there. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, he held positions such as chairman of the Suzhou Federation of Literary and Art Circles and deputy director of the Shanghai Science Education Film Studio. He created numerous outstanding works including “The Giant Hand,” “The Unemployed,” “Workers’ Home,” “No Height Is Unreachable,” and “The Pinnacle of the Harbor.” He also produced “The Thinker,” which was collected and permanently displayed by the State Council Office. He published “Song of Eternal Life” and the essay collection “Returning Home.” At the Diantong Film Company in Shanghai, he directed “Children of Troubled Times,” whose theme song “March of the Volunteers” and insert song “Children Under the Iron Hoof” (lyrics by Xu Xingzhi, music by Nie Er) became hugely popular nationwide and had a profound impact. He passed away in Beijing in 1991. The residence follows two east-west axes, with four courtyards in both the front and rear sections of the house. On the eastern axis, the original entrance hall has been destroyed. Upon entering, there is a courtyard, beyond which lies a three-bay, two-wing hall with a seven-rafter depth. The third and fourth sections are structurally similar to the second. On the western axis, the first section is the entrance hall, spanning three bays. Beyond the entrance hall is another courtyard, followed by the second section — a hall that has undergone slight modifications, also three bays with two wings. The third section of the residence has since been rebuilt. The fourth section remains largely intact.

Further Reading:

· List of the Fourth Batch of Cultural Heritage Protection Units in Yangzhou