Former Residence of the Sha Family

The Former Residence of the Sha Family

The Former Residence of the Sha Family is a Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Heritage Site.

The Former Residence of the Sha Family is located in Shacun Village, Tangxi Town, Yinzhou District. It was designated as a provincial-level cultural heritage site on March 16, 2005.

Constructed in the 25th year of the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty (1899), the Former Residence of the Sha Family is a two-courtyard, four-bay brick-and-wood residence. It measures 38.80 meters in length from north to south and 14.80 meters in width from east to west, with a total area of 574 square meters. The main building faces south and is situated on a north-south axis that gradually ascends from south to north. Located at the northern foot of the Meiling Mountain Range, it backs against green hills and fronts a clear stream, featuring picturesque peaks and pristine waters in a tranquil setting. This was the birthplace, residence, and workplace of the five Sha brothers: Sha Menghai (also known as Sha Wenruo), Sha Wenqiu, Sha Wenhan, Sha Wenwei, and Sha Wendu.

The eldest brother, Sha Menghai, was one of the most outstanding calligraphy masters of his time. He served as the First Vice Chairman of the Chinese Calligraphers Association and President of the Xiling Seal Art Society. With over seventy years of dedication to the art of calligraphy, he achieved profound mastery and remarkable accomplishments, establishing a bold and vigorous style that distinguished him in the calligraphy world. Sha Wenqiu, the second brother and a revolutionary martyr, was an exemplary early member of the Chinese Communist Party. He organized and led local farmers in struggles against local despots and unscrupulous merchants from the residence, thus igniting the revolutionary spark in both Yinxian and Fenghua, delivering heavy blows to reactionary forces. He participated in the Guangzhou Uprising in 1928 and was martyred at the age of 24. The third brother, Sha Wenhan, was a secret agent for the Comintern who worked for many years to subvert the Nationalist army. He played key roles in the uprisings aboard the Chongqing warship and the Second Fleet. After the liberation, he became the first Governor of Zhejiang Province. The fourth brother, Sha Wenwei, was the first among the siblings to embrace proletarian revolutionary ideology. He engaged in intelligence work for the Party for many years, undertaking significant intelligence tasks under the cover of Sha Menghai, becoming a distinguished talent in the intelligence field under the leadership of Li Kenong and Pan Hannian. The youngest brother, Sha Jitong, was deeply influenced by his elder brothers’ revolutionary ideals and actively participated in revolutionary activities at home from a young age. In 1938, he went to Yan’an and joined the Chinese Communist Party. In 1942, he was framed and persecuted by Kang Sheng, passing away at a young age.

During the period of the Great Revolution, the residence served as a base for revolutionary predecessors such as Martyr Sha Wenqiu to lead peasant movements. It was a strategic hub for the Shacun Branch directly under the Ningbo Local Committee of the Chinese Communist Party for meetings and external liaison, and one of the birthplaces that ignited the revolutionary flames in both Yinxian and Fenghua. In early 1926, Martyr Sha Wenqiu was dispatched by the Ningbo Local Committee to return to his hometown to engage in peasant movement activities. He organized the Shacun Peasants' Association and developed Party organizations. He led farmers in struggles against local tyrants and unscrupulous merchants. The residence became the center of revolutionary activities, influencing both Yinxian and Fenghua counties and dealing heavy blows to the reactionaries.

The unique experiences of the five Sha brothers under specific historical circumstances made them faithful reflections of the arduous struggles of Chinese intellectuals during both the New Democratic Revolution and the Socialist Revolution. The Former Residence of the Sha Family preserves not only traces of the brothers’ birth but also their footprints in the fight for revolution. In the new era, the residence will surely become a place where people honor the revolutionary martyrs, inherit their spirit, and draw inspiration to strive for the prosperity of the motherland.

Biography: Sha Menghai (1900–1992), originally named Wenruo, styled himself Menghai and also used the names Shihuang and Jueming. A native of Shacun, Yinxian (now Yinzhou District), he was born into a family of renowned physicians and scholars. Influenced by his scholarly family from childhood, he was trained in traditional disciplines and began studying seal carving at an early age. He attended Cixi Jintang School and graduated from the Fourth Normal School of Eastern Zhejiang. By the age of 20, he had already gained considerable fame for his calligraphy. In 1922, while working as a private tutor in Shanghai, he had the opportunity to meet and learn from masters he greatly admired, such as Kang Youwei and Wu Changshuo, which had a profound impact on his calligraphy and seal carving. In 1925, he began teaching... More details about Sha Menghai ++

Sha Wenqiu (1904–1928), also known as Zhongji or Duanji, used the alias Shi Yong. A native of Shacun, Daxian Township, Yinxian (now Tangxi Township), Ningbo, he was the younger brother of Sha Menghai. As a child, he attended Shacun Primary School. In the autumn of 1917, with the support of his elder brother, he entered Ningbo Xiaoshi Middle School. He had a passion for literature, history, and martial arts. Sha Wenqiu was an outstanding early member of the Chinese Communist Party and a renowned martyr who sacrificed his life after the Guangzhou Uprising at the young age of 24.

Sha Wenqiu was strong-willed, righteous, and brave, with a love for classical history and military texts. In children’s mock battles, he would not stop until he won. While attending the village primary school, he... More details about Sha Wenqiu ++

Sha Wenhan (1908–1964), originally named Wen Yuan, also called Wen Shu, styled himself Shuwen and used the alias Zhang Deng. A native of Shacun, Tangxi Township, Yinxian, he was the younger brother of Sha Menghai. In 1921, he enrolled in the Fourth Normal School of Zhejiang Province in Ningbo, transferring the following year to Yinxian Advanced Commercial School. He joined the Chinese Communist Party in 1925. After graduation, he served as Secretary of the Shacun Branch and a committee member of the Yinfeng District Committee. On January 1, 1927, he mobilized over a thousand farmers to march into Fenghua County town to expel the county magistrate. After the April 12 Counterrevolutionary Coup, he was wanted and fled to Shanghai, returning to Ningbo in August. In November, he became Secretary of the Yinfeng District Committee of the CCP, working with the Zhejiang Provincial Committee... More details about Sha Wenhan ++

Sha Wenwei (1910–1999), originally named Wen Rong, styled himself Zhongshu. After the founding of the People’s Republic, he changed his name to Shi Yong in memory of his second elder brother. A native of Shacun, Tangxi Town, Yinxian, Ningbo, he joined the Communist Youth League of China in March 1925 and served as a committee member and head of the Organization Department of the Ningbo Local Committee of the Communist Youth League.

In 1930, due to the destruction of the Zhejiang Provincial Committee of the CCP, Comrade Shi Yong lost contact with the organization. In October 1934, he resumed working for the Party and reestablished his organizational ties. He subsequently engaged in intelligence work in Shanghai, Nanjing, Hankou, and Chongqing. In 1936, through an introduction by a former classmate who had studied in Russia, he joined the “New...” More details about Sha Wenwei ++

Sha Jitong (1912–1943), also known as Sha Wendu or Jiutong, used the alias Chen Zhengxu. Influenced by the revolutionary ideals of his elder brothers from a young age, he actively participated in revolutionary activities in his hometown.

In 1927, he joined the Communist Youth League and enthusiastically took part in the Fenghua Uprising led by Zhuo Lanfang and Sha Wenhan. After the uprising failed, while working at the Farmers’ Association in the coastal area, he was captured by local bandits. The enemies even threatened to stuff him into a sack and throw him into a ravine. However, Sha Jitong and his mother, Chen Ling, stood firm and were eventually rescued. In 1928, he went to Shangyu to study at Chunhui School run by Mr. Jing Hengyi... More details about Sha Wendu ++

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Heritage Sites