Lao She Memorial Hall

Lao She Memorial Hall

The Lao She Memorial Hall is a cultural relic protection unit of Beijing and also a patriotic education base.

As a cultural relic protection unit of Beijing, the former residence of Lao She is an ordinary Beijing-style courtyard home. It features a flush-gable roof with purlins, is entirely made of wood, and has a compact overall layout. The main gate faces east and is located on the west side, with a gray-tiled gatehouse and black-painted doors. Upon entering, the first thing you see is a brick screen wall in the center of which a large red “Fu” (good fortune) character is displayed as decoration. Going further in, there is a small courtyard that isn’t very big, with only two southern rooms that serve as the gatehouse; to the west there is also a narrow and long courtyard that was the residence of Lao She’s son, Shu Yi; to the north lies a three-sided courtyard, which is the main part of the former residence. Upon entering, you first see a colorful wooden screen wall. The main house in the courtyard consists of three northern rooms, each flanked by one wing room. The central room and the western side room serve as the living room, the eastern side room as the bedroom, and the western wing room functions as Lao She’s study. The desk faces the east door, allowing one to easily reach the books embedded in the wall cabinets. The desk is made of hardwood inlaid with marble. Also on display are items that Lao She used during his lifetime, such as his glasses, fountain pens, ink bottles, ashtrays, table lamps, radios, and calendars. It was in this small room that Lao She wrote his famous plays such as *Fang Zhenzhu* (*The Pearl of the Square*), *Longxugou* (*Dragon Beard Ditch*), *Chaguan* (*Teahouse*), *Xiwang Chang’an* (*Looking West to Chang’an*), and *Quanjiufu* (*Happy Family*), as well as over 20 other plays including *Shenquan* (*The Divine Fist*), written in memory of his father.

In addition, there is a large collection of folk art, essays, poems, theses, essays, and the unfinished autobiographical novel *Zheng Hongqi Xia* (*Under the Red Flag*). The living room displays sofas, a traditional long table, a carved round hardwood table, stools, and a multi-tiered display shelf. On the sunlit windowsill and tea table facing south, various potted plants and flower arrangements are placed. On the western wall hang calligraphy and paintings gifted by renowned traditional Chinese painters that Lao She loved. According to Hu Jieqing, Lao She’s wife, these artworks were originally changed every few days, and each time they were, Lao She would carefully admire them for half a day. Here, Lao She received many famous artists and friends from both China and abroad. There are three wing rooms on the east and west sides respectively—the eastern wing room served as the dining area, and the western wing room was where Lao She’s daughter lived. In the spring of 1953, Mr. Lao She personally planted two persimmon trees in the small courtyard. Every deep autumn, when the persimmon trees are laden with bright red fruits, they create a uniquely poetic atmosphere, prompting Hu Jieqing to affectionately name the place “The Courtyard of Red Persimmons.”

Address: No. 19, Fengfu Hutong, Dengshikou West Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing

Phone: 010-65599218

Official Website: http://www.bjlsjng.com/

Opening Hours:

The Lao She Memorial Hall is currently closed for renovation. It was closed from April 5, 2017, to January 31, 2018, and officially reopened on February 1, 2018.

Lao She (1899–1966)

A Chinese writer. His original name was Shu Qingchun, and his courtesy name was Sheyu. Lao She was his most commonly used pen name. Of Manchu ethnicity, he was from Beijing and was born into a poor urban family.

Life and Works: Graduated from Beijing Normal School in 1918, he served as a primary school principal and as an instructor in the northern suburbs, among other roles. The democratic, scientific, and individual-liberation ideals brought forth by the May Fourth New Culture Movement awakened him from his previous life philosophy of “diligently running a primary school, obediently serving one’s parents, and properly marrying and having children.” The rise of the literary revolution also led him to...   More detailed information about Lao She ++