Gong Zizhen Memorial Hall

Gong Zizhen Memorial Hall

The Gong Zizhen Memorial Hall is a cultural relic protection unit of Hangzhou.

The Gong Zizhen Memorial Hall is located in Xiaocai Garden at No. 6 Mapo Lane, east of Hangzhou. Covering an area of over 600 square meters, it was opened to the public in 1990. Gong Zizhen, whose given name was Gongzuo and courtesy name Siren, was a thinker and litterateur of the Qing Dynasty from Renhe, Zhejiang (present-day Hangzhou). Together with Lin Zexu and others, he pioneered progressive ideas that criticized social malpractices, resisted foreign aggression, and advocated the application of classical learning to practical governance. He was hailed by Liu Yazi as “the foremost scholar of the past three hundred years.”

The Gong Zizhen Memorial Hall was built during the late Qing Dynasty and is a traditional Chinese-style residence. It was originally “Xiaomishanfang,” commonly known as “Xiaomiyuan,” built by Wang Wei from Tongxiang during the Qing Dynasty. The renowned Qing Dynasty thinker and litterateur Gong Zizhen was born in Mapo (also spelled Mopo) Lane. Gong Zizhen (1792–1841) became a Jinshi (advanced scholar) in the ninth year of the Daoguang reign. He held official positions such as Zhongshu (clerk) of the Grand Secretariat and Zhi Shi (secretary) of the Ministry of Rites. Well-read and erudite, his literary works strongly advocated reform and national strengthening. “Taking court regulations, state policies, worldly affairs, and the people’s grievances as the core,” and “reading historical accounts, studying past precedents, and passionately discussing state affairs,” he authored the Collected Works of Ding’an. A modern compilation titled The Complete Works of Gong Zizhen has also been published. Although Gong Zizhen moved to the capital with his father at the age of 11 and spent most of his life away from Hangzhou, seldom returning, his nostalgia for his hometown is often reflected in his poetry: “From now on, with whom shall I discuss antiquity? I’ll stand alone in the slanting sunlight outside Mapo Lane.” Between 1988 and 1989, after renovation, Xiaomiyuan was repurposed as the Gong Zizhen Memorial Hall. The site covers approximately 0.7 hectares, with a building area of 498 square meters, and has been designated as a municipal-level cultural relic protection unit.

The main structure of the memorial hall is a two-story building in the Qing Dynasty style, featuring five bays on each floor, along with wing rooms. It boasts carved beams and painted rafters, embodying an elegant and classic charm. The central hall houses a half-length bronze bust of Gong Zizhen, surrounded by plaques and couplets inscribed by renowned calligraphers such as Sha Menghai and Zhao Puchu. Four exhibition rooms display pictorial and textual introductions to Gong Zizhen’s life, chronologies of major events, the Ding’an engraved editions, historical materials, the Gong family genealogy, selected poems, and posthumous research collections. The courtyard features small bridges over flowing water, rockeries, and pavilions, complemented by floral greenery, all contributing to a distinctly classical garden atmosphere. In addition to the wing rooms, the carved beams and painted rafters, as well as the elegant and timeless ambiance, make the space even more charming. The central hall displays a half-length bronze bust of Gong Zizhen, surrounded by plaques and couplets inscribed by renowned calligraphers such as Sha Menghai and Zhao Puchu. The four exhibition rooms exhibit pictorial and textual introductions to Gong Zizhen’s life, chronologies of major events, the Ding’an engraved editions, historical materials, the Gong family genealogy, selected poems, and posthumous research collections. The courtyard features small bridges over flowing water, rockeries, and pavilions, complemented by floral greenery, all contributing to a distinctly classical garden atmosphere. His works are especially beloved by older generations. The memorial hall has now been listed as a key cultural relic protection unit in Hangzhou.

Gong Zizhen (August 22, 1792 – September 26, 1841), courtesy name Siren and art name Ding’an (ān), was a Han Chinese from Renhe (present-day Hangzhou, Zhejiang). In his later years, he lived at Yuling Mountain Retreat in Kunshan and adopted the alias Yuling Shanmin. He was a thinker, poet, litterateur, and a pioneer of reformism during the Qing Dynasty.

Gong Zizhen once served as Zhongshu (clerk) of the Grand Secretariat, Zhirénfu Zhushi (secretary) of the Imperial Clan Court, and Zhi Shi (secretary) of the Ministry of Rites. He advocated for the elimination of corrupt policies and resistance against foreign invasion, and he fully supported Lin Zexu’s efforts to ban opium. At the age of 48, he resigned from office and returned south, passing away the following year at Yunyang Academy in Danyang, Jiangsu. His poetry and prose promoted the idea of “reforming laws...” More details about Gong Zizhen ++