Former Residence of Mei Ru'ao

Former Residence of Mei Ru'ao

The former residence of Mei Ru'ao is a cultural relic protection unit of Jiangxi Province.

The former residence of Mei Ru'ao is located in Meicun Village at Zhugiaoqiao, Qingyunpu District, Nanchang City. It was built in 1856 (during the Tongzhi reign of the Qing Dynasty). The structure faces east and is situated to the west, measuring 41 meters in width from north to south and 15 meters in depth from east to west, covering a total area of 603 square meters. The building itself is constructed from blue bricks, with a single story, and features a double-sloped hip-and-gable roof in the front and back, topped with gray machine-made tiles. The interior has bluestone flooring, wooden doors and windows, which are carved with patterns from the Qing Dynasty. The internal layout follows a "three wells plus two courtyards" design (front courtyard, front well hall, middle well hall, rear well hall, and rear courtyard). Through several generations, the residence came into the hands of Mei Ru'ao’s father in 1902. It was here that Mei Ru'ao grew from a rural student to an international judge. He returned from Tokyo in 1948 and subsequently settled in Taiwan, Beijing, and other places. During the land reform in 1950, the residence was allocated for use by local poor and lower-middle peasants. Mei Ru'ao was the chief judge representing China in the Tokyo Trials of Japanese war criminals. As a symbolic figure of China’s ultimate victory in the Anti-Japanese War and the global anti-fascist struggle, he held significant influence both domestically and internationally. During the third national cultural relics survey, Qingyunpu District officials discovered that the residence had partially collapsed due to years of neglect, with only the outer walls and main internal structures remaining. In recent years, there has been strong public demand for the restoration of the Mei Ru'ao Residence, especially with repeated proposals by provincial, municipal, and district-level deputies to the People's Congress and members of the CPPCC during their respective sessions to preserve and renovate the site. In light of this, after careful consideration, the Qingyunpu District Government decided to invest heavily in emergency reinforcement and restoration of the former residence to restore its original appearance. This effort aims to highlight the “blue” culture represented by Judge Mei Ru'ao alongside the classic traditional charm of Zhugiaoqiao Meicun Village, showcasing a distinctive local humanistic culture.

The exhibition arrangement at the former site of the Mei Ru'ao Residence utilizes some of the existing rooms or halls within the residence. Through methods such as physical restoration, display cases, text and photo introductions, and large-screen screenings, it presents an overview of Mr. Mei Ru'ao’s life, with a focus on historical facts such as the “Tokyo Trials,” “World War II history,” “--,” the “Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japan,” and the “history of the Mei Ru'ao family.” This helps the public understand history, remember national humiliation, and serves as a warning for future generations. The interior exhibition layout includes: the front hall as a projection cinema, mainly looping documentaries on the Tokyo Trials, --, “For Whom the Bell Tolls,” and integrity education films; the right wing room of the front hall as the living quarters of Mei Ru'ao, primarily featuring restored displays of furniture and items he used in his early years. The two small wing rooms in the middle hall mainly display items personally used by Mei Ru'ao, while the right large wing room of the middle hall serves as the Mei Ru'ao and Tokyo Trials historical materials room, exhibiting some of Mei Ru'ao’s diaries, books, and research materials related to the Tokyo Trials. The left large wing room mainly functions as the Tokyo Trials chronicle hall, showcasing the judge’s effective struggles against forces attempting to shield Japanese war criminals. The right wing room of the rear hall is the Mei Ru'ao Family History Exhibition Room, displaying the development history of his direct relatives and notable biographies. The left wing room of the rear hall is the World War II and Chinese Anti-Japanese War Exhibition Room, highlighting the background of the Tokyo Trials, major battles of World War II, key campaigns of China’s eight-year resistance, the historical context of --, and more, educating future generations to remember history and never forget national humiliation.

In March 2018, it was announced as part of the sixth batch of provincial-level cultural relic protection units in Jiangxi Province.

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Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of Jiangxi Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Units