Ma Zonghan Memorial Hall

Ma Zonghan Memorial Hall

The Ma Zonghan Memorial Hall is located within the former residence of Ma Zonghan in Ma Zonghan Village, Zonghan Subdistrict, Cixi City.

The former residence is a Qing Dynasty–era building with distinctive architectural features of the Sanbei region. Its main structure is a high, flat-roofed house built with a brick-and-wood frame using a combination of through-tenon and post-and-lintel construction. It faces south, has seven bays, includes a front porch, and the entire building has a concave-shaped floor plan. There are two wing rooms on each side, one of which—the eastern wing—has been demolished. The roof features ridge tiles weighted with wooden beams, decorative carved bricks, lotus and ruyi-patterned roof tiles at the eaves, and white lime-plastered gable walls. The wooden window and door frames are carved with patterns that allow light and air to pass through. The courtyard in front of the residence is paved with bluestone and covers an area of about 110 square meters.

The former residence was not only where Ma Zonghan lived during his lifetime but also the place where he carried out revolutionary activities. The western side room served as his bridal chamber. After the brothers divided the property, the eldest brother, Ma Zonghan, took the western section, while the central bay was kept for communal use. In 1987, on the 80th anniversary of the martyr’s death, the government funded the restoration of the central bay, turning it into the “Ma Zonghan Martyr Memorial Room.” The plaque was inscribed by the master calligrapher Sha Menghai. At the center of the memorial room’s hall hangs a portrait of Martyr Ma Zonghan, above which is a horizontal plaque reading “Immortalized Through the Ages,” flanked by poetic lines: “Since ancient times, who can escape death? Let me leave a loyal heart to shine in the annals of history.” The side walls are covered with photos and textual descriptions introducing the martyr.

The Ma Zonghan Memorial Hall operates under a well-established daily management system, with reception and guided tour services handled specifically by the Zonghan Subdistrict Cultural Station. Since its establishment, it has received a total of 60,000 visitors from all walks of life.

Ma Zonghan, originally named Chunchang, with the courtesy name Ziqi and the alias Zonghanzi, was born on March 30, 1884, during the 10th year of the Guangxu reign. He was a native of what is now Ma Zonghan Village, Zonghan Subdistrict. From childhood, he studied at the Dashan School in Yuyao, associating with people of strong national integrity and dedicating himself to the overthrow of feudal rule under the Qing Dynasty.

In the 28th year of the Guangxu reign (1902), Ma Zonghan was admitted to the Zhejiang Higher School, where he began to be exposed to revolutionary ideas and met many passionate young people. In March of the following year, he withdrew from school and returned home due to participating in student activism. In the 30th year of the Guangxu reign, he reluctantly complied with the wishes of his grandfather and father by passing the imperial examination to become a xiucai (a successful candidate in the imperial provincial examination) in the Jiachen year. However, he had no interest in pursuing an official career... More details about Ma Zonghan ++