Memorial Hall of Ma Yifu

Memorial Hall of Ma Yifu

The Ma Yifu Memorial Hall is located within the Flower Harbor Park by West Lake, situated near the Yingbo Bridge on the Su Causeway, adjacent to Jiangzhuang on the southwestern lake. Originally named Xiaowanliutang, Jiangzhuang was the villa of Lián Huìqīng from Wuxi. After being purchased and renovated by Jiǎng Guōbǎng, it became commonly known as Jiangzhuang. Within the estate, pavilions and towers are hidden amidst bamboo, flowers, and plants, reflecting beautifully in the surrounding lake and mountain scenery, truly capturing the charm of West Lake.

In 1950, at the invitation of his disciple Jiǎng Guōbǎng, the modern Chinese sinologist Ma Yifu moved into Jiangzhuang. Dignitaries such as Marshal Chen Yi and Premier Zhou Enlai visited and took photos here. The main building has now been converted into the Ma Yifu Memorial Hall. The hall is divided into four sections—biography, poetics, calligraphy, and study—which introduce Ma Yifu's life and achievements through artifacts, photographs, manuscripts, and historical documents. [1]

Between the Yingbo and Suolan bridges at the southern end of the Su Causeway on West Lake in Hangzhou, there is an east-west arched bridge that stretches like a long rainbow over the water, leading directly to the Flower Harbor Park. Further inside, there is a spacious area with lush green lawns where white doves often fly freely. To the west stands the Peony Pavilion, surrounded by various peonies and tree peonies which attract many visitors when in bloom. To the right is the Xili Lake, where small boats drift quietly, their oars making soft splashing sounds; to the left are dense groves of tall trees including pines, camphor trees, magnolia, and bamboo. Deep within the foliage lies a garden, known as Jiangzhuang, reputed as the "garden within a garden." Jiangzhuang consists of three buildings in a Sino-Western architectural style. Originally named Xiaowanliutang, it was built by Lián Huìqīng from Wuxi and later sold to Jiǎng Guōbǎng, a patriotic and wealthy businessman. Jiǎng, who dominated China’s tung oil trade during the Republic of China period and was based in Nanjing, purchased Xiaowanliutang with a large sum of money to provide a retreat for his mother to recuperate in Hangzhou. In 1950, Ma Yifu, the master of Chinese studies, accepted his disciple Jiǎng Guōbǎng’s invitation to live in Jiangzhuang, where he resided for a full 17 years until the start of the Cultural Revolution.

Ma Yifu (1883–1967), childhood name Fútián, courtesy name Yīfó, later known as Yīfú, also styled Zhànwēng, with other aliases such as Juānwēng, Juānsǒu, and Juānxì Lǎorén. A native of Kuàijī (now Shàoxīng), Zhejiang Province, he was a modern Chinese philosopher, poet, and calligrapher. He was the first person in China to introduce Karl Marx’s Das Kapital, and together with Liáng Shūmíng and Xióng Shílì, he was known as one of the “Three Sages of Modern Times” (also referred to as the “Three Sages of Neo-Confucianism”). He was one of the early representatives of modern Neo-Confucianism, the lyricist of the Zhejiang University anthem, and a former professor at Zhejiang University. Ma had profound expertise in ancient philosophy, literature, and Buddhism, and was also highly skilled in calligraphy... More details about Ma Yifu ++

Jiǎng Guōbǎng (1893–1970), courtesy name Sū’ān. A native of Nánjīng, Jiangsu Province. He was accomplished in poetry and prose, studied calligraphy modeled after the Han and Wei dynasties, and had a passion for epigraphy, painting, calligraphy, and steles. In the third year of the Republic of China, he partnered with Wáng Yītíng and Hā Shǎofǔ to renovate the Yueyang Tower in Jiaxing. He was known for supporting public welfare causes and, in his later years, frequently traveled with Ma Yifu and resided by West Lake in Hangzhou... More details about Jiǎng Guōbǎng ++