Lu Xun’s Maternal Grandmother’s Home

Lu Xun’s Maternal Grandmother’s Home

Lu Xun’s maternal grandmother’s home is located in Anqiaotou Village, Shaoxing County, a typical water town in the Jiangnan region. Small boats paddle forward through the crisscrossing waterways of the Jiangnan water town like threads in a spiderweb. Lu Xun also traveled this ancient waterway when he went to his grandmother’s home with his mother as a child. The pitch-black boat is like a sharp pair of scissors, gliding steadily over the silky surface of the water. It was only when I sat at the bow of the boat that I truly understood the heartfelt saying often heard in the Jiangsu and Zhejiang regions: “Rock, rock, rock to Grandma’s Bridge.”

Anqiaotou is a small water town village located outside Chang’an Gate in Shaoxing, about 30-plus li by water from the city. Less than 4 li north of the village is the Cao’e River, and about 5 li east and west are the markets of Sanduan and Mashan. The Shaoxing Plain is crisscrossed with rivers and lakes, and most villages are built along the water. Anqiaotou is flanked on the east and west by two... (text cutoff)

In the novel, this is a dream playground for children. Located in Huangfu Village, Sanduan Town, Shaoxing County, 15 kilometers from the city center, it was a place where Lu Xun took refuge during his youth. Huangfu Village is surrounded by water on all sides, with numerous lakes and canals. On the western shore of Hejia Pool in the village stands the Bao Gong Temple, with a riverside stage nearby. As a child, Lu Xun watched traditional operas here and even played the role of a “ghost soldier” in a performance of “Mullian Opera” held on a bonfire site. Lu Xun’s maternal grandmother’s original home was in Anqiaotou, Sanduan. After his grandfather, Lu Qingxuan, passed the imperial examination, he found the old house too cramped and relocated to Huangpu Village. In Anqiaotou Village, there are many uniquely styled villas—some in European-American styles, some in traditional Chinese styles, and others with Western-style villas integrated into Chinese-style gardens.

This is a land of water towns, bridges, wine, and calligraphy. Many people may not be highly educated, but they can write beautiful characters.

The house of Lu Xun’s maternal grandmother in the village is well preserved, and it is no different from other ancient residences in the Jiangnan region. Stepping inside, there is a quiet little courtyard with a skywell. It was here that I saw a photo of Lu Xun’s mother for the first time. Lu Xun’s mother was named Lu Rui. One can imagine that Lu Xun’s pen name was influenced by his mother.

Not far from Lu Xun’s maternal grandmother’s home is a large pond. Villagers explain that this pond is where Lu Xun and his friends often went fishing for shrimp and played. The wide-open water stretches out before you, with fish, shrimp, eels, and turtles raised in the pond. Neatly arranged net cages also hold many high-quality pearls.

Lu Xun (September 25, 1881 – October 19, 1936), originally named Zhou Zhangshou, later changed to Zhou Shuren, with the courtesy name Yu Shan, which he later changed to Yu Cai. “Lu Xun” was the pen name he used when publishing “A Madman’s Diary” in 1918, and it is the most widely recognized of his pen names. A native of Shaoxing, Zhejiang, he was a renowned writer, thinker, a key participant in the May Fourth New Culture Movement, and a founding figure of modern Chinese literature. Mao Zedong once commented: “The direction taken by Lu Xun is the direction of the new culture of the Chinese nation.” [1-6]

Lu Xun dedicated his life to literary creation, literary criticism, ... More details about Lu Xun++