Ruins of Xishan First Library

Ruins of Xishan First Library

The ruins of Xishan First Library are a cultural tourism site.

In September 1923, Jin Guanzhen and Li Dezhaol established the Xishan First Library in Yan Tou’s Wenchang Pavilion. They purchased progressive publications for young people to read, spreading new culture and ideas.

Jin Guanzhen was a diligent student who actively engaged in the New Culture Movement, voraciously reading revolutionary publications such as New Youth and The Communist Manifesto in his quest for revolutionary truth. He often said, “The rise and fall of the nation concerns everyone; how can I make society shine brilliantly? How can I bring boundless happiness to the people?” That autumn, he and other progressive youths including Li Dezhaol organized the “Youth Advancement Association” and the “Xishan Fellow Students Association,” striving to promote new cultural activities in Nanxi. Their teacher, the Communist Party member Xie Wenjin, frequently wrote letters from Shanghai encouraging them to take an active part in revolutionary activities. In addition to participating in patriotic events, they also used their holidays to lead fellow students from Nanxi studying in Wenzhou to perform in mountain villages, spreading progressive ideas.

The ruins of Xishan First Library are located at the Wenchang Pavilion in Heyi Village, Yan Tou Town, Yongjia County. This pavilion was built during the Ming Dynasty and was renovated in the Daoguang era of the Qing Dynasty with funding from local notable Jin Zesheng. It faces east with its back to Tashan Mountain and overlooks Tahui Lake, covering an area of approximately 200 square meters, with two floors. Due to long-term neglect, it collapsed during a typhoon. In 2008, the People’s Government of Yan Tou Town, Yongjia County, funded the reconstruction of the building based on its original structure.

Source: Party History Research Office of the CPC Wenzhou Municipal Committee