Former Residence of Chen Duxiu

Former Site of Chen Duxiu’s Residence

The former site of Chen Duxiu’s residence is a protected cultural heritage site of Anqing City.

The former residence of Chen Duxiu is located within the National Historic and Cultural City Preservation Zone in Anqing City, Anhui Province — Chen Duxiu’s hometown. In 2013, following strong appeals from many Anqing citizens, the city government and the Millennium Yicheng Memory Plaza abandoned the plan to demolish Chen Duxiu’s former home (his childhood residence), and it was temporarily preserved.

After the victory of the Xinhai Revolution, Mr. Chen Duxiu, Secretary-General of the Anhui Provincial Governor’s Office, and Gao Junman lived in this Western-style building inside the southern gate of Anqing. The property belonged to Chen Duxiu personally, and his son, Chen Henian (also known as Chen Zhemin), was born on the second floor of this building.

Chen Duxiu (October 9, 1879 – May 27, 1942), originally named Qingtong, with the official name Qiansheng, courtesy name Zhongfu, and art name Shian, was from Huaining, Anhui (now Anqing). He was a great patriot, revolutionary, and reformer in modern and contemporary Chinese history, as well as a great democrat and enlightenment thinker. He was the initiator of the New Culture Movement, the advocate of China’s first ideological emancipation movement of the 20th century, the commander-in-chief and ideological guide of the May Fourth Movement, an active promoter of Marxism, and one of the most important founders of the Communist Party of China... More details about Chen Duxiu++

Gao Junman, whose original name was Xiaozhong and also known as Junmei, was born in 1888 and died in 1931. She was Chen Duxiu’s second wife. Gao Junman was the half-sister of Chen Duxiu’s first wife, Gao Xiaolan (also known as Gao Dazhong), and the daughter of Gao Dengke’s second wife, Madame Qi.

At the end of 1909, Gao Junman, who was studying at the Beijing Women’s Normal School, came to Anqing and stayed at her sister’s home. At that time, the relationship between Chen Duxiu and Gao Xiaolan had already broken down. Gao Junman, a naturally beautiful and highly educated young literary woman, gradually developed feelings for her brother-in-law Chen Duxiu that evolved from familial affection to romantic love. Gao... More details about Gao Junman++