Former Residence of Yang Gengsheng

Former Residence of Yang Gengsheng

The former residence of Yang Gengsheng is a cultural relic protection unit of Jiangxi Province.

The former residence of Yang Gengsheng was built in 1933 (the 22nd year of the Republic of China) and is located at the southwestern foot of Shizhong Mountain in Hukou County, Jiujiang City, Jiangxi Province. It is not far from the old county Party school in Hukou and is said to have been called “Mianchengju” (literally, “Facing-the-City Residence”). This historical site, “Mianchengju,” has been newly renovated. As it was not open to the public in the past, only its general outline could be faintly seen through the courtyard walls.

In 2018, the sixth batch of Jiangxi Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Units was announced, with four sites in Hukou County making the list, and the former residence of Yang Gengsheng being one of them.

To vigorously promote the lofty spirit of dedication of Mr. Yang Gengsheng and Academician Yang Shuzi—both known for their devotion to the greater good and sincere patriotism—Hukou County officially launched the protection and restoration project of the former residence of Yang Gengsheng in 2018. After more than a year of work, on April 29, 2019, the Yang Gengsheng Former Residence and the Exhibition on the Deeds of Academician Yang Shuzi were officially completed and opened to the public.

The completion and opening of the Yang Gengsheng Former Residence and the Exhibition on the Deeds of Academician Yang Shuzi will serve as an important venue for local Party members and cadres in Hukou County to receive patriotic education and strengthen Party spirit, as well as a key platform for the public to inherit good family precepts and cultivate positive family values. It will also be an important classroom for young people to learn about history and culture and cultivate moral character. This fills the long-standing historical gap of having “history but no memorial site” for historically significant cultural figures from Hukou, represented by Yang Gengsheng, and also adds richer cultural depth to Shizhong Mountain in Hukou County in its bid to become a national 5A-level tourist attraction.

Yang Gengsheng (1869–1955), courtesy name Yanbing, was a native of Shangyang Village, Sanli Township, Hukou County, Jiangxi Province. He finished reading the Thirteen Classics at the age of twelve, passed the imperial examination for xiucai (a scholar) at eighteen, and then studied at the White Deer Grotto Academy before being selected to further his studies at the Imperial College in Beijing. Witnessing the corruption of the Qing government, he abandoned the pursuit of official titles and instead engaged in the democratic revolution. Introduced by Xu Xiujun, he entered Jiangxi University Hall, where he studied modern disciplines and joined the Tongmenghui (Chinese Revolutionary Alliance) while in school. After the Xinhai Revolution, when Li Liejun became the Military Governor of Jiangxi and established the Provincial Assembly, Yang Gengsheng served as a senior advisor to the governor’s office and a provincial councilor.

In 1912, the “Second Revolution...” More details on Yang Gengsheng++

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of Jiangxi Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Units