Yu Dafu's Former Residence in Hangzhou

Yu Dafu's Former Residence in Hangzhou

Yu Dafu's former residence in Hangzhou is a cultural heritage site protected by the Hangzhou municipal government.

Yu Dafu's former residence in Hangzhou — "Fengyu Maolu" — is located at No. 63 Changguan Lane, Daxue Road, Xiaoying Subdistrict, Shangcheng District, Hangzhou. In 1933, due to his active involvement in progressive cultural activities, Yu Dafu was warned and placed under surveillance by the Kuomintang authorities. He left Shanghai and sought refuge in Hangzhou. "Fengyu Maolu" was a new home personally chosen and designed by Yu, completed in the spring of 1936. It is a quaint and elegant small brick-and-wood building that combines Chinese and Western architectural styles.

After the outbreak of the nationwide War of Resistance against Japan, Yu Dafu resolutely bid farewell to "Fengyu Maolu" and fearlessly traveled through multiple domestic cities such as Fuzhou and Wuhan before heading to Southeast Asia to join the anti-Japanese struggle. He used his pen as a weapon, edited several literary supplements, and published over 400 articles advocating resistance against Japan. Using the alias Zhao Lian, he took various opportunities to protect and support the anti-Japanese activities of overseas Chinese and the Indonesian people. On August 29, 1945, Yu Dafu was arrested by Japanese military police in Sumatra, Indonesia, after his identity was exposed, and was later secretly executed, becoming the last cultural warrior to be killed during the War of Resistance against Japan.

The residence was titled "Fengyu Maolu" by the scholar Ma Junwu at the time. It was personally designed by Yu Dafu and consists of a main house and a backyard. Upon entering the gate, there are five or six single-story rooms on both sides. Passing through the courtyard, there are three main rooms facing south. The central room serves as the living room with a rear chamber. The east and west sides of the hall are bedrooms, surrounded by corridors on three sides. The main courtyard is separated from the backyard by a brick wall. The backyard has three single-story rooms used as a study and guest rooms. The area is adorned with rockeries and lush trees, offering a serene environment. This residence still stands today with its original structure intact and is a cultural heritage site protected by the Hangzhou municipal government.

Transportation: Take bus routes 11 or 19 and get off at Cai Shi Qiao Station to reach Changguan Lane.

Protected Area: An area approximately 3 meters outside the perimeter wall of the former residence, covering a total area of 1,320 square meters.

Construction Control Zone: East to the western boundary of the road red line, south to an extension of about 15 meters outside the protected area, west to the construction control zone of the Zhejiang Library, and north to an extension of about 10 meters outside the protected area (connecting to the construction control zone of the Zhejiang Library, along the southern wall of Shengli Kindergarten), covering a total area of 7,201 square meters.

Yu Dafu (December 7, 1896 – September 17, 1945), originally named Yu Wen, with the courtesy name Dafu and childhood name A Feng, was a native of Fuyang, Zhejiang. He was a modern Chinese novelist, essayist, and poet.

Yu Dafu was a great patriot. In addition to his literary creations, he actively participated in various anti-imperialist and anti-Japanese organizations. He engaged in patriotic and resistance propaganda activities in Shanghai, Wuhan, Fuzhou, and other places, and was a patriotic writer who sacrificed his life for the cause of resisting Japan and saving the nation.

Representative works of Yu Dafu include "In Memory of Lu Xun," "Sinking," "Autumn in the Old Capital," "Intoxicated by the Spring Wind One Evening," "The Past," "Late Osmanthus…" More detailed information about Yu Dafu ++