Former Residence of Wu Han

Former Residence of Wu Han

The former residence of Wu Han is a Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Unit and a patriotic education base.

The former residence of Wu Han is located in Kuzhutang Village, Shangxi Town, Yiwu City. It was the home of the late renowned historian Wu Han, built in 1924 by his father, Wu ?jue. The structure is a brick-and-wood building with a front-veranda-style courtyard layout, covering an area of 463 square meters. The residence faces south and has a five-bay width, with a total width of 20.72 meters and a total depth of 11.4 meters, and a construction area of 440 square meters. The entire building is roughly shaped like a concave character, featuring axial symmetry, with two floors consisting of the main hall, side rooms, two wings, and a garden. The central bay of the main hall is open, while the secondary and end bays are partitioned with wooden panels. The front wall and enclosing walls directly face the gable-end bays, where a stone-framed door opens to the outside. The second-floor veranda is enclosed with Western-style balustrades adorned with carved scroll patterns on the baluster tops, neckings, and small spandrels. The side rooms are symmetrically arranged on both sides, each with doors at the front and back leading to the corridor and the southern garden respectively. A courtyard is enclosed in the center, paved with long flagstones, with a bluestone path running through to the garden. The central gable wall features a main entrance in the middle. The decoration of the main entrance combines Chinese and Western elements, including a domed bluestone frame, brick pilasters, and cone-shaped columns on both sides. Above the frame is a bluestone plaque inscribed with “Former Residence of Comrade Wu Han,” written by - (name omitted), adorned with painted butterfly and scroll motifs. The gable walls of the side rooms feature decorative eaves, composite curved firewalls, and dragon-patterned water spouts. The southern facade of the building incorporates Western architectural decorative styles, reflecting the characteristics of architecture from the Republican era. Outside the gable wall lies a garden, with a central bluestone path surrounded by walls made of perforated bricks, and a round arched gate on the southern side. Inside the main hall of the residence hangs a portrait of Wu Han, flanked by an inscription by Liao Mosha in memory of his dear friend. The first-floor side bays display items once used by Wu Han in the residence, such as bookshelves, beds, desks, and wardrobes. The side rooms exhibit photos depicting Wu Han’s life and achievements. The second floor mainly displays materials covering various stages of Wu Han’s life, along with his major works, correspondence, and reproductions of his manuscripts. A bluestone stele inscribed with an epigraph for the Biography of Wu Han by Chairman Peng Zhen is embedded in the inner courtyard wall. The residence underwent two renovations, in 1984 and 2002. In 2005, it was designated as a Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Unit. On the winter solstice of 2005, a cenotaph for Wu Han was erected on Ku Mountain in Kuzhutang Village, Shangxi Town, his hometown. It is a sunken-style tomb with a black marble gravestone inscribed by - (name omitted). Behind the tomb are memorial graves of pebbles for his father, Wu Wenzhai, and his brother, Wu Chunxi. The former residence of Wu Han is a key cultural relic protection unit of Zhejiang Province and a patriotic education base in Yiwu City.

Wu Han, originally named Wu Chunhan, with the courtesy name Chenbo, was a native of Yiwu, Zhejiang Province. After graduating from Tsinghua University in 1934, he served as a professor at Yunnan University, the National Southwestern Associated University, and Tsinghua University. Wu Han was a famous Chinese historian, best known for his research on Ming Dynasty history. He was a prolific writer with outstanding achievements, having published over 600 academic papers, essays, and articles. His major representative works include Reading Notes on History, Biography of Zhu Yuanzhang, and the historical drama Hai Rui Dismissed from Office.

In 1937, Mr. Xiong Qinglai, president of Yunnan University, exceptionally hired Mr. Wu Han as a faculty member in the Department of Literature and History at Yunnan University... More details about Wu Han++

Kuzhutang Village: Kuzhutang Village... More details about Kuzhutang Village++

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units