Former Residence of Cao Kun

Former Residence of Cao Yu

The former residence of Cao Yu is a national AAA-level tourist attraction, a cultural relic protection unit of Tianjin, and a patriotic education base.

The Cao Yu Memorial Hall and Cao Yu Theatre serve as outstanding platforms that fully showcase the unique artistic charm of Cao Yu, an eminent modern Chinese dramatist, and comprehensively interpret the formation process of his artistic philosophy. They are important cultural resources of Tianjin and key windows for promoting Tianjin’s culture.

The memorial hall and theatre are located within the Italian-style area of Minzhu Road, Hebei District. With a construction area of 4,613 square meters and a land area of 2,400 square meters, they were among the first 40 key cultural projects launched in 2010 as part of Tianjin’s campaign for cultural development and prosperity. Following restoration and furnishing in accordance with the principle of “restoring the old as it was,” they officially opened on September 24, 2010 — the centennial of Cao Yu’s birth. The Cao Yu Theatre was also inaugurated and began operations on the same day.

The memorial hall consists of two independent two-story brick-and-wood buildings with small front and rear courtyards and gardens, exemplifying typical Italian architectural style. Constructed in the second year of the Xuantong reign of the Qing Dynasty (1910), this was the “Wan Mansion” where the world-renowned dramatist Cao Yu (whose real name was Wan Jiabao) spent his childhood and adolescence. In 2004, the building was designated as an “immovable cultural relic” by the Hebei District government, and in 2008, it was recognized by the municipal government as a key historical building for preservation. Many characters and stories in Cao Yu’s classic plays such as Thunderstorm, Sunrise, The Wilderness, and Peking Man are more or less inspired by experiences from this period.

The front building of the memorial hall primarily displays Cao Yu’s life experiences in childhood and adolescence, his special affection for Tianjin, and his outstanding contributions to the theatrical arts through historical photos, manuscripts, books, and textual explanations. The rear building, the “Wan Mansion,” mainly features restored furnishings that reflect the family environment of Cao Yu during his youth.

The theatre is integrated with the memorial hall and serves as a continuation of its exhibition layout. The first-floor lobby hosts exhibits such as the “Cao Yu Theatre Career Commemorative Exhibition,” the “Cao Yu Theatre Historical Materials Collection,” and the “Manuscript Display of Sunrise.” The second floor features the “Exhibition of Donated Works by 100 Tianjin Calligraphers and Painters for the Centennial of Cao Yu” and the “100-meter Calligraphy Scroll of 100 Quotations from Cao Yu Written by 100 Tianjin Artists.” The Cao Yu Reading Room offers books on drama, poetry, history, and literature for reading and exchange. The theatre has three small performance venues — the Thunderstorm Hall, the Sunrise Hall, and the The Wilderness Hall — primarily staging Cao Yu’s classic plays and contemporary urban avant-garde dramas, aiming to help audiences appreciate and experience the charm of Cao Yu’s timeless works.

The Cao Yu Memorial Hall and Cao Yu Theatre have hosted dozens of related exhibitions and events, including the Cao Yu Theatre Historical Materials Exhibition, the Oral Historical Materials Exhibition of Modern Chinese Literary Masters, national literary museum theme activities, and the Cao Yu International Academic Symposium. On average, they receive over 50,000 visitors per year. In 2013, they were designated as a Tianjin Patriotic Education Base by the Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government.

Address of the Cao Yu Memorial Hall and Cao Yu Theatre: Nos. 5–7 Minzhu Road, Hebei District. Open Tuesday to Sunday, 9:00–16:30; free admission. Contact number: 26292717.

Address: No. 5 Minzhu Road, Hebei District

Phone: 24461985

Cao Yu (1910–1996), originally named Wan Jiabao, with the courtesy name Xiaoshi, was a native of Qianjiang. He was one of the pioneers of China’s New Culture Movement, one of the founders of Chinese spoken drama, a renowned drama educator in China, and an outstanding modern Chinese dramatist. His tormented soul found peace at 3:55 AM on December 13, 1996, but his immortal legacy will live on in history forever.

Youthful Struggles Reveal Brilliance

Cao Yu was born on September 24, 1910, in a hutong in Tianjin’s Xiaobailou area. His 92-year-old grandmother named him Jiabao. His father, Wan Dezun (187... More detailed information about Cao Yu++

Further Reading:

· Fourth Batch of Cultural Relic Protection Units of Tianjin