Former Residence of Zhu Shenghao

Former Residence of Zhu Shenghao

The Former Residence of Zhu Shenghao is a cultural heritage site protected by Jiaxing City.

This historic site is the former residence of the renowned translator Zhu Shenghao, which you will pass by while walking toward the area near Nanhu Bridge.

The original site was located at No. 14, Dongmipengxia, South Street (now within the eastern section of Meiwang Street Historical Block). In 2006, the Jiaxing Urban Investment Group funded the construction of a new site, which is now situated at No. 73, Hexing South Road, Nanhu District, Jiaxing. The residence is a traditional northern Zhejiang-style folk house, facing west and situated eastward. The building currently consists of a two-story main house with five rooms, two wing rooms on the north and south sides each, and two smaller side rooms (kitchen annexes) in the northeast corner, with front and back courtyards on the east and west sides.

The visit to the residence is mainly divided into two parts: the first floor serves as an exhibition hall, to be viewed from left to right, divided into three sections representing his childhood, youth, and the period before his passing; the second floor is where his former bedroom was located.

Zhu Shenghao, a native of Jiaxing, Zhejiang, was born in February 1912 and passed away in December 1944 at the young age of 32. He was a literary giant whose translation of The Complete Works of Shakespeare is considered the most complete and high-quality version of Shakespeare’s works in China to date. At the time, using his eloquent linguistic skill and richly poetic translation style, he translated 31 of Shakespeare’s plays. He was one of the earliest translators of Shakespeare’s works in China, and his translations were distinctive in both quality and style, earning recognition from Shakespeare scholars both in China and abroad. He can truly be regarded as a source of pride for China’s translation community—and even for the Chinese nation—in the past century.

Throughout his life, Zhu Shenghao would rather live in poverty until his death than serve the puppet regime. He sustained an extremely difficult life on meager royalties. His approach to translation was serious and earnest, with the principle of “preserving the charm of the original work to the greatest possible extent.” He shut himself away from the world and devoted all his energy to translation. With only two dictionaries as reference tools, he translated several of Shakespeare’s major tragedies, including Romeo and Juliet, King Lear, and Hamlet. In early 1944, despite being ill, he translated four of Shakespeare’s history plays: King John, Richard II, Richard III, and others. During that time, he endured long-term illness and declining health. After barely managing to finish Act I and Act II of Henry V, he was diagnosed with tuberculosis in June and became bedridden. He had to put down the translation of Henry V, which he had already started. He lamented, “If I had known I wouldn’t recover, I would have fought to finish it no matter what.” By December, his condition worsened, and he eventually passed away on December 26, 1944, leaving behind his young wife and their one-year-old son, filled with regret.

Location of the Attraction

No. 73, Hexing South Road, Nanhu District, Jiaxing City, Zhejiang Province, China

Ziyang Community: Located in the city center of Jiaxing, Ziyang Community under Jianshe Subdistrict is an open, old-style community integrating commerce, finance, healthcare, and residential living. It borders Jianguo Road to the east, the city moat to the south, Hexing Road to the west, and Zhongshan Road to the north. The community covers an area of 0.7 square kilometers, with 2,621 resident households and a total population of 8,384, including 2,308 non-native residents. There are 308 registered party members, organized into 8 branches, including one “two-new youth” branch, 28 resident groups, 1,594 residents aged 60 and above, and 320 aged 80 and above. The community has 12 jointly managed units and 74... More details about Ziyang Community++