Sanwei Study

Sanwei Study

Sanwei Study was a renowned private school in Shaoxing during the late Qing Dynasty, located at No. 11 Duchangfangkou. It was a small three-bay flower hall, originally the study room of the Shou family. Facing west with its back to the east and situated north of a small river, it faced the Zhou family’s Old Gate House across the water. Lu Xun studied here from the age of 12 to 17.

The Shou family’s Gate House was the residence of Mr. Shou Jingwu, Lu Xun’s private tutor. Shou Jingwu, whose given name was Huaijian and courtesy name Jingwu, was a learned and venerable scholar. He was of upright character and straightforward personality, took teaching seriously, and despised fame and fortune throughout his life. After passing the imperial examination for the xiucai degree, he never sat for further exams and devoted himself to teaching for the rest of his life. He once told Lu Xun, “Zhou Shuren, I hope you will continue to work hard.” Lu Xun praised him as “a man of great integrity, simplicity, and erudition in this city.” The Shou family’s Gate House was purchased by Shou Jingwu’s grandfather, Fenglan Gong, during the Jiaqing era, with a total floor area of 795 square meters. It faces a small river with a stone bridge leading to it and has a bamboo garden to the west. The entire building faces the Zhou family’s Old Gate House across the river, and the world-famous Sanwei Study is located in the eastern wing of the Shou family’s Gate House.

The Small Hall was used to receive relatives and friends. On the screen plaque in the main hall hangs a plaque inscribed with “Revisit the Panshui,” which was a gift from Shou Jingwu’s nephew, Shou Xiaotian, in 1928—the year before Shou Jingwu passed away and the sixtieth anniversary of his xiucai degree. Lu Xun held deep respect and affection for Mr. Shou Jingwu. Even after leaving Shaoxing, he maintained correspondence with him. In 1906, Lu Xun returned to Shaoxing and visited his teacher again, sharing stories about what he had seen and heard in the outside world. At that time, Mr. Shou Jingwu received him here.

Mr. Shou Jingwu’s study room was furnished in a typical manner for a private tutor’s home, featuring a dedicated bookshelf for the Twenty-Four Histories, general bookshelves, and writing utensils. A plaque inscribed with “San Yu Zhai” (Three Spare Times Studio) hangs on the beam of the room. The term “San Yu” originates from Pei Songzhi’s annotations in the Records of the Three Kingdoms, quoting Dong Yu of the Wei dynasty, who said, “One should use three kinds of spare time to study: winter is the spare time of the year, night is the spare time of the day, and rainy days are the spare time of sunny days.” It means one should make full use of all available free time to study diligently.

In Mr. Shou Jingwu’s bedroom, there are items such as a canopy bed, wardrobe, chests, a wooden reclining chair, clothes rack, and washstand. Because Mr. Shou Jingwu was very strict in his teaching and only accepted eight students per year, believing that taking more would make it difficult to teach them all, his teaching income was quite limited. Therefore, the current layout of the bedroom exceeds his actual living conditions at the time—he actually led a much simpler and more austere life.

Moving eastward into the third courtyard, you will find the eastern wing of the Shou family’s Gate House, divided into southern and northern sections. The southern wing now displays exhibits introducing the ancient educational history of Shaoxing, a famous historical and cultural city, divided into three major parts: “Yue Prefecture and County Schools, Yue Academies, and Yue Private Study Rooms.” The northern wing is where Lu Xun studied—the Sanwei Study.

Speaking of Mr. Lu Xun, I think of my ancestor—my great-great-granduncle on my maternal grandmother’s side, who founded “Sanwei Study” and was Lu Xun’s first teacher. Sanwei Study was a well-known private school in Shaoxing at the time, where Lu Xun studied in his childhood. The common explanation of “Sanwei Study” is that the name figuratively describes the tastes of reading ancient texts such as the Book of Songs, the Book of History, and the works of the Hundred Schools of Thought through three flavors. However, Mr. Shou Yu, the grandson of Shou Jingwu, wrote in his article: “I have heard my grandfather Shou Jingwu explain the meaning of Sanwei Study more than once. My grandfather explained the meaning of ‘Sanwei Study’ as ‘the warmth of plain cloth, the fragrance of vegetable roots, and the long-lasting taste of poetry and books.’” Shou Jingwu said, “‘Plain cloth’ refers to common people; ‘the warmth of plain cloth’ means being content to be a common person rather than seeking to become a high-ranking official. ‘The fragrance of vegetable roots’ means being satisfied with simple meals and not envying or longing for luxurious delicacies. ‘The long-lasting taste of poetry and books’ means deeply appreciating the profound meanings of literature and classics, thereby gaining lasting insights.” It is said that these words were personally composed by Shou Jingwu’s father, Shou Yunqiao, to be carefully pondered and practiced by his descendants.

Sanwei Study was originally named Sanyu Study. The name “Sanyu” is derived from a saying by Dong Yu during the Three Kingdoms period. According to annotations in the Records of the Three Kingdoms, Book of Wei, Biography of Wang Su, Dong Yu often advised students to make full use of the “three spare times” for studying.

Admission Fee

Free

Opening Hours

8:20-17:00

Location

264-1 Luxun Middle Road