Lu Xun's Former Residence Scenic Area

Lu Xun's Former Residence Scenic Area

Lu Xun's Former Residence Scenic Area is a national AAAAA-level tourist attraction and a key cultural relic protection unit in China.

Situated on Lu Xun Middle Road in the urban area of Shaoxing City, Zhejiang Province, Lu Xun's Former Residence is a historic district with unique Jiangnan style. It offers an authentic setting for interpreting Lu Xun’s works, savoring the scenes he described, and experiencing the atmosphere of his era.

Shaoxing’s Lu Xun’s Former Residence is the homeland where the great thinker, writer, and revolutionary Mr. Lu Xun spent his formative years. It is the best-preserved historic district in the city, rich in cultural significance and embodying the classic charm of a water town ancient city. Covering an area of 50 hectares with a total investment of 1 billion yuan, after more than two years of preservation and restoration, Lu Xun’s Former Residence has not only restored the original appearances of Lu Xun’s former home, ancestral home, Sanwei Study, and the Baicaoyuan (Hundred Grass Garden), but also unveils the previously unopened west wing of Lu Xun’s ancestral home, as well as recently restored structures such as the Zhou Family’s New Gate, Shou Family’s Gate, Tugutemple, and the Lu Xun Literary Style Garden—all closely associated with Lu Xun.

Located on Lu Xun Middle Road in the urban area of Shaoxing City, Zhejiang Province, Lu Xun's Former Residence is a historic district with distinctive Jiangnan charm, providing an authentic setting for appreciating Lu Xun’s works, exploring the scenes he wrote about, and immersing oneself in the atmosphere of his time. Along a narrow bluestone path flanked by whitewashed walls and black-tiled roofs, bamboo-lattice gates house Lu Xun’s Ancestral Home (Zhou Family Old Gate), Lu Xun’s Former Home (Zhou Family New Gate), the Baicaoyuan, Sanwei Study, Shou Family’s Gate, Tugutemple, the Lu Xun Literary Style Garden, and Xianheng Hotel. A small river flows past the front of Lu Xun’s Former Home, with black-canopied boats gently drifting along—this scene is reminiscent of moments from Lu Xun’s literary works. The meticulously preserved and restored Lu Xun’s Former Residence has become a comprehensive site for understanding the life of the eminent modern Chinese writer Lu Xun, and is considered the “treasure of the city” of Shaoxing, Zhejiang.

Along a narrow bluestone path flanked by whitewashed walls and black-tiled roofs, bamboo-lattice gates house Lu Xun’s Ancestral Home (Zhou Family Old Gate), Lu Xun’s Former Home (Zhou Family New Gate), the Baicaoyuan, Sanwei Study, Shou Family’s Gate, Tugutemple, the Lu Xun Literary Style Garden, and Xianheng Hotel. A small river flows past the front of Lu Xun’s Former Home, with black-canopied boats gently drifting along—this scene is reminiscent of moments from Lu Xun’s literary works. The meticulously preserved and restored Lu Xun’s Former Residence has become a comprehensive site for understanding the life of the eminent modern Chinese writer Lu Xun, and is considered the “treasure of the city” of Shaoxing, Zhejiang.

To the east of the newly built Lu Xun Memorial Hall exhibition hall lies Lu Xun’s Ancestral Home—the Zhou Family Old Gate. Facing south, it fronts Dongchangfangkou and connects to Xianhuan River at the back, adjacent to Dai Family’s Gate to the west, and faces the Sanwei Study across the river. The old gate covers an area of 3,087 square meters, featuring gray-tiled walls and wooden structure—a typical residence of a feudal scholar-official.

Also known as the Zhou Family Old Gate, Lu Xun’s Ancestral Home faces south and stands opposite the Sanwei Study across the river. The term “gate” refers to a type of traditional Jiangnan residence, similar to a courtyard house in northern China.

Lu Xun, originally named Zhou Shuren, came from the prominent Zhou family in Shaoxing. At one time, the Zhou family owned three gates, with Lu Xun’s Ancestral Home being the earliest, hence called the Zhou Family Old Gate. Covering over 3,000 square meters, the main building consists of four courtyards. The first is called the Gate Courtyard, historically used for disembarking from sedan chairs, and now serves as the scenic area’s ticket checkpoint.

The second courtyard is the Deshou Hall, used by the Zhou clan for celebrations, blessings, and banquets. The name “Deshou” conveys the idea of virtue bringing longevity and prosperity. Lu Xun’s Ancestral Home was not where Lu Xun lived as a child; he rarely visited except during family ancestral rites or major events.

The entire ancestral home is divided into east and west wings along a central axis. The third courtyard, the Incense Ancestral Hall, was used for ancestor worship and funeral ceremonies. In the center hangs a portrait of the Zhou ancestors, while the walls display the family motto “Hengxun” (Constant Admonition) written by Lu Xun’s grandfather, Zhou Fuqing. The current version of “Hengxun” was hand-copied by Lu Xun during his studies in Nanjing. Its content reflects Zhou Fuqing’s insights on scholarship, conduct, and daily life—from academic methods and official ethics to practical knowledge.

The current layout of Lu Xun’s Ancestral Home is based on the family’s most prosperous period, incorporating representative living scenes from other prominent households to recreate the lifestyle of wealthy families in Shaoxing during the Qing Dynasty.

The fourth courtyard, called the Main Building, served as the primary living area for the Zhou family and now features rooms arranged as a young lady’s study, embroidery room, bedroom, and bathroom. Due to the growing family and expanding clan, the original residence became insufficient. Thus, during the Jiaqing era of the Qing Dynasty, the Zhou family acquired two additional gates—the Guoqiao Gate and the New Gate. Starting from the ninth generation, the family divided their residence: the eldest son lived in the New Gate, the second son in the Guoqiao Gate, and the youngest son along with the parents remained in the Old Gate.

Lu Xun’s Former Home is located west of the Zhou Family New Gate at Douchangfangkou. On September 25, 1881, Lu Xun was born here and lived until the age of 18 when he left for Nanjing to study. Even when he returned to his hometown to teach, he mostly resided here. The New Gate was where the Zhou family had lived together for generations. The original central gate, consisting of six black-painted bamboo doors, no longer exists after renovation. The entire residence is a classic example of the deep, large-family homes unique to the Jiangnan region. It was built on land purchased by Zhou Xiongzhan (1742–1821), the eighth-generation ancestor of the Zhou family, during the Jiaqing era of the Qing Dynasty. The Guoqiao Gate was constructed at the same time.

Lu Xun’s Former Home follows a traditional gate-house layout with six courtyards, covering 580 square meters. The first is the Gate Courtyard; the second includes simple rooms and corridors; the third has Lu Xun’s bedroom on the west side of the lower floor, where he worked in Shaoxing. The fourth courtyard is a two-story building; the front half of the east room on the lower floor is called the Small Hall, used by the Lu Xun family for dining and receiving guests.

Address: No. 241, Lu Xun Middle Road, Yuecheng District, Shaoxing City, Zhejiang Province

Transportation

The back half is Lu Xun’s mother, Lu Rui’s bedroom. The front half of the west room on the lower floor was his grandmother’s bedroom, with the back half serving as a hallway; the fifth courtyard is the kitchen; the sixth courtyard is a three-room simple house, with a door in the middle leading to the Baicaoyuan. Each section is arranged to reflect its original layout.

Bus routes: 8, 13, 10, 16, 24, 88, 108, 316B, 316C, 317, and BRT Line 2 to Lu Xun’s Former Residence Station

Type: Celebrity Former Residence / Characteristic Historic District

Rating: AAAAA

Recommended Visit Duration: 2–3 hours

Phone: 0575-85132080; 0575-85132084

Opening Hours:

The Baicaoyuan is located behind Lu Xun’s Former Home, covering nearly 2,000 square meters. Originally a shared vegetable garden for over ten households of the Zhou family in the New Gate, it was used to grow vegetables and melons, and for drying grain in autumn. This was the playground of Lu Xun’s childhood, where he played, tasted dark purple mulberries and tart-sweet raspberries, caught crickets and dug up fleeceflower roots near the low earthen walls, enjoyed the shade in summer, and caught birds in the snow in winter.

Free admission hours: 8:30–17:00; ticket collection: 8:30–16:50

These childhood memories left a deep and pleasant impression on Lu Xun, evoking fond nostalgia even in his later years. Although the northern and southern ends of the Baicaoyuan changed ownership and appearance, its main section largely remains intact. Lu Xun once said, “Behind our house there was a large garden, which was said to be called the Baicaoyuan... It seemed to have nothing but wild grass, but it was my paradise,” and “Not to mention the emerald green vegetable plots, the smooth stone well curb, the tall honey locust trees, and the dark purple mulberries... just the short earthen walls around the edges held infinite delight.” Most of the garden retains its original look, and the “short earthen walls” are authentic.

The Baicaoyuan covers approximately 2,000 square meters and is a shared vegetable garden for the Zhou clan. It contains plants such as honey locust and mulberry trees, along with structures like low walls and a well.

Ticket Information:

Present your ID at the entrance of each attraction — Sanwei Study, Lu Xun’s Former Residence, and Lu Xun’s Ancestral Home — to collect your ticket for entry (one ticket per person per day, one ID allows entry for up to two people. The entrance to Lu Xun’s Ancestral Home has been moved to the Visitor Center; please collect your ticket directly at the Visitor Center).

Guide fees are available at various rates: 80/110/120/130/150 RMB.

Sanwei Study: In his famous essay "From the Hundred-Grass Garden to the Sanwei Study," Lu Xun wrote: “Going out eastward, less than half a mile, and crossing a stone bridge, you come to my teacher’s house. Passing through a black-lacquered bamboo door, the third room is the study. In the middle hangs a plaque inscribed ‘Sanwei Study’; …” Sanwei Study was a well-known private school in Shaoxing at the time. Lu Xun began studying here at the age of 12 and continued for about five years.

Lu Xun wrote a memoir-style essay about his childhood adventures titled "From the Hundred-Grass Garden to the Sanwei Study," which is included in his essay collection "Dawn Blossoms Plucked at Dusk."

Sanwei Study covers an area of about 35 square meters. At the center of the ceiling hangs a plaque inscribed with the words “Sanwei Study,” written by the renowned Qing Dynasty calligrapher Liang Tongshu. Lu Xun described it in his famous essay "From the Hundred-Grass Garden to the Sanwei Study": “Going out eastward, less than half a mile, and crossing a stone bridge, you come to my teacher’s house. Passing through a black-lacquered bamboo door, the third room is the study. In the middle hangs a plaque inscribed ‘Sanwei Study’; …”

In this essay, Lu Xun vividly portrays the stuffy atmosphere of Sanwei Study, describing it as “the strictest private school in the whole town,” where children were bound by rigid discipline. However, he didn’t depict the place as entirely lifeless. Instead, through anecdotes—such as students sneaking into the backyard during breaks and the old private tutor getting engrossed in reading while the students quietly have fun—he infuses the setting with humor.

Lu Xun (September 25, 1881 – October 19, 1936), originally named Zhou Zhangshou and later changed to Zhou Shuren, with courtesy names Yushan and later Yucai, adopted the pen name "Lu Xun" when he published "A Madman's Diary" in 1918—the pen name by which he became most widely known. He was from Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province. A renowned writer and thinker, he was a key figure in the May Fourth New Culture Movement and a founding father of modern Chinese literature. Mao Zedong once remarked: “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++