Former Residence of Ma Zonghan

Former Residence of Ma Zonghan

The former residence of Ma Zonghan is a cultural relic protection unit of Cixi City.

The former residence of Ma Zonghan is located on Zonghan Street in Cixi City. It is a Qing Dynasty building notable for its distinctive Sanbei residential architectural style. The main structure is a high, flat-roofed house built with a brick-and-wood post-and-lintel system, featuring seven bays facing south, with a front porch. The entire building has a concave-shaped floor plan. The central bay is 4.6 meters wide, the side bays are 3.7 meters wide, the end bays are 4 meters wide, the corner bays are 3.7 meters wide, and the depth is 10.5 meters. There are two wing rooms on each side, though the eastern wing room has been demolished. The roof ridge is weighted with brick tiles, decorated with carved floral bricks. The eaves feature lotus and ruyi-patterned roof tiles, while the gable walls are coated with white plaster sculpture. The wooden window and door frames are carved with patterns that allow light and air to pass through. In front of the residence is a courtyard paved with bluestone, covering an area of about 110 square meters.

The residence was Ma Zonghan’s home during his lifetime, with the western side bay serving as his newlywed quarters. After the brothers divided the property, the eldest brother, Ma Zonghan, took the west side, while the central bay remained for communal use. During the Cultural Revolution, the central bay was demolished. At the same time, the “Zonghan Commune,” named in honor of the martyr, was temporarily renamed the “Dongfanghong Commune” until it was restored in 1981. In 1987, on the 80th anniversary of the martyr’s death, the government funded the restoration of the central bay, converting it into the “Memorial Room of Martyr Ma Zonghan.” The plaque was inscribed by the master calligrapher Sha Menghai. The center of the memorial hall’s main hall hangs a portrait of Martyr Ma Zonghan, above which is a horizontal inscription reading “Fame Lasts Through the Ages,” flanked by poetic couplets: “Since ancient times who has not died? 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.

Ma Zonghan, originally named Chunchang and also known as Ziqi (or Ziyi), with the alias Zonghanzi, was born on March 30, 1884, into a wealthy family in Majialu Village, Kedong Township, Yuyao (now Zonghan Street, Cixi). At the age of 15, he attended Dashan School in the county town. In 1902, he enrolled in Zhejiang University Hall, where he was first exposed to revolutionary ideas. The following April, he withdrew from school and returned home due to participating in student protests. In 1905, Xu Xilin founded Datong School in Shaoxing, and Ma Zonghan went there to study and joined the Restoration Society. In 1907, he joined Xu Xilin, Chen Boping, and others on the journey to the Anqing Uprising, sacrificing his young and precious life for the democratic revolution. Ma Zonghan was only 24 years old at the time of his death. Local residents secretly collected his remains and transported the coffin over a thousand miles back to his hometown, where he was buried in a makeshift grave on Shijia Mountain. After the success of the Xinhai Revolution, Ma Zonghan’s remains were taken to Hangzhou and buried alongside Xu and Chen at the southern foot of Gushan, known as the “Tomb of the Three Martyrs.” In 1981, the “Tomb of the Three Martyrs” was relocated to Nantianzhu in Hangzhou, where it is revered by the public.

Zonghan Street: Located at the center of the Ningbo-Shaoxing Plain in eastern Zhejiang, Zonghan Street lies south of National Highway 329, just 10 kilometers from the Hangzhou-Ningbo Expressway interchange. To the north, it borders Hangzhou Bay. It is over 70 kilometers from Ningbo Lishe Airport and 67 kilometers from Beilun Port. The planned Hangzhou Bay Cross-Sea Bridge project has become a new development opportunity for Zonghan. As part of Cixi’s central urban area, Zonghan Street covers an area of 34 square kilometers, governs 18 administrative villages and 1 neighborhood committee, with a registered population of 62,000 and nearly 30,000 mu of cultivated land.

Strong Momentum in Large-Scale Industry. Zonghan Street is currently home to various enterprises... More details about Zonghan Street++