Former Residence of Wu Yue

Former Residence of Wu Yue

The former residence of Wu Yue is a cultural relic protection unit of Anhui Province.

The former residence of Wu Yue is situated in Yanling Lane on the west side of the middle section of Xihou Street in downtown Tongcheng. It faces south with its back to the north. Originally covering a relatively large area, it was divided into a front hall, rear hall, wing rooms, and a backyard. Over time, due to successive renovations, its original appearance has slightly changed. Today, five single-story rooms remain, including his childhood study and bedroom. These measure 19 meters in width and extend three bays deep, with a length of 5.2 meters and an area of 187 square meters. The structure is a brick-and-timber raised-beam style, with a double-slope tiled roof. A front eaves corridor is supported by bracket arms. Each room has windows both at the front and back: the upper part features vertically opening windows, while the lower part consists of fixed horizontal windows, making the space bright and spacious. The wooden windows on the westernmost room are still the original ones. On the western gable wall inside, there is a photo commemorating Wu Yue’s martyrdom.

Wu Yue (1878–1905), also known as Mengxia or Mengxia, was a native of Tongcheng. From a young age, he was diligent and strict in his studies. In the 26th year of the Guangxu reign (1900), he entered the Baoding Advanced School, where he connected with patriotic activists and devoted himself to the democratic revolution. In the 29th year of Guangxu (1903), he taught at Liangjiang Public School and assisted in publishing the Zhili Vernacular Newspaper. In the 31st year of Guangxu (1905), he traveled from Baoding to Beijing Railway Station and detonated a bomb targeting five Qing government officials who were sent abroad for inspection—these were the “Five Ministers of Constitutional Reform.” He sacrificed his life in the act, at only 28 years old. At the time, Yuan Shikai was in charge of Baoding. To avoid implication after Wu Yue's death, his surname was changed from “Wu Yue” to “Wu Yue,” which has been used ever since.

In 1913, Wu Yue’s younger brother, Wu Chu, brought his coffin back south and buried him on Pingtou Mountain outside the west gate of Anqing. Dr. Sun Yat-sen personally composed a eulogy and entrusted Sun Yu Yun, the Governor of Anhui, to conduct the memorial ceremony. In 1929, Anqing established “Wu Yue Street.” Subsequently, a “Wu Yue Shrine” was built in his hometown of Tongcheng, the county seat was renamed “Mengxia Town,” and schools such as “Mengxia Middle School” and “Mengxia Primary School” were established in his honor. In July 1986, the People’s Government of Anhui Province designated it as a provincial-level key cultural relics protection unit.

Wu Yue (1878–1905), also known as Mengxia, was a native of Yutan Township. His father, Erkang, had five sons, with Wu Yue being the fourth. The Wu family was poor; Wu Yue lost his mother at age 8, and with his father away seeking work, he was raised by his elder brother. As a child, Wu Yue enjoyed playing games with other village children—such as pretending cows were horses or engaging in mock naval battles using wooden tubs on the pond, always determined to win. He was very intelligent in his studies, loved reciting classical literature, and had a particular interest in history. “Whenever he read about the Ming Dynasty history, he would read aloud with emotion, sighing deeply and unable to contain himself.” Starting at age 12, he took part in the imperial civil service examinations for boys but failed six times and eventually gave up on the imperial examination path. In the 26th year of the Guangxu reign (1900)... More detailed information about Wu Yue ++