Former Residence of Pu Songling (Memorial Hall)

Former Residence of Pu Songling (Memorial Hall)

The Former Residence of Pu Songling (Memorial Hall) is a National AA-level tourist attraction and a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level.

The former residence of Pu Songling is located in Pujiazhuang, Zichuan District, Zibo City, Shandong Province.

Pu Songling (1640–1715), courtesy names Liuxian and Jiachen, also known by his pseudonym Master Liuquan, was exceptionally intelligent and stood out as a literary talent of his time. In the 15th year of the Shunzhi reign of the Qing Dynasty (1658), he passed the children’s examination and ranked first at the county, prefectural, and provincial levels, earning him a place as a government student. But from then on, he repeatedly failed the imperial examinations, only receiving the honorary title of "tribute student" at the age of 71. Throughout his life, he was known for his integrity, disdain for worldly conventions, and often used tales of foxes and ghosts to satirize societal issues. His writing, unique and full of wit, carved out its own style. Aside from the world-renowned Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, his major works include 13 volumes of essays with over 400 pieces, 8 volumes of poetry with more than 900 poems, 1 volume of ci poetry with over 100 lyrics, as well as 14 types of folk songs, 3 plays, and 5 miscellaneous writings.

The former residence includes the original site of the house, nearby residences, Liuquan Spring, and the cemetery, now converted into the Pu Songling Memorial Hall. The residence faces south, has two courtyards, with a side courtyard to the west, and features blue bricks, black tiles, wooden lattice windows and doors in the local residential style. A golden plaque inscribed with “Former Residence of Pu Songling,” written by Guo Moruo in 1962, hangs prominently above the entrance gate.

The main room of the residence is an ordinary house made of brick, stone, and adobe, with wooden lattice windows and doors. Inside, a plaque inscribed with the characters “Liaozhai” (Strange Tales), handwritten by Lu Dahuang, hangs prominently at the entrance. Below the plaque hangs a portrait of Pu Songling painted when he was 74 years old by the renowned southern painter Zhu Xianglin. On either side are couplets handwritten by Guo Moruo. The room also displays a Duan inkstone that Pu Songling used during his lifetime, a bed and a hand warmer he used while teaching at the Bi family, along with a plaque from Chuo Ran Hall, a Lingbi stone, a Sanxing stone, and a Frog Croaking Stone—each directly associated with Pu Songling. Additionally, the tables, chairs, stands, shelves, cabinets, and wooden lanterns in the room were all originally from the Bi family in Xipu, where Pu Songling taught for over 30 years. The east and west wing rooms have low thatched roofs and are simple and cramped; they have been renovated in recent years. In the northeast corner of the courtyard, there is a small open space where three stone tablets related to Pu Songling and his writings are placed.

Passing through the gate and turning north leads to a courtyard with a main house and two wing rooms. The main house has three rooms, and each wing room has two, all built in 1954. The cypresses and pomegranates beside the main house, as well as the winter jasmine and century plants in front of the wing rooms, were planted by later generations. The Taihu rocks in the courtyard were also added after the restoration of the residence.

In 2006, the former residence of Pu Songling, as an ancient Qing Dynasty structure, was included in the sixth batch of Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level by the State Council.

Address: Pujiazhuang, Hongshan Town, Zichuan District, Zibo City

Visiting Time: Approximately 1 hour

Featured Facilities: Parking lot capacity: can accommodate around 800 vehicles

Public Transportation:

Within the city area, you can take Bus No. 23 to the terminal stop, which is right at the site. The fare is 1 yuan per person.

Pu Songling (1640–1715), a renowned literary figure and short story writer of the Qing Dynasty, courtesy names Liuxian and Jiachen, also known by his pseudonym Master Liuquan, was widely referred to as “Mr. Liaozhai.” He was of Mongol ethnicity and came from Pujiazhen (now Zichuan District, Zibo City, Shandong Province), Shandong. Born into a scholarly family, Pu was intelligent from childhood and highly knowledgeable. At the age of 19, he ranked first in the county’s imperial examinations and earned the title of xiucai (a successful candidate in the lowest level of the imperial exams). However, in subsequent attempts at higher imperial examinations, he repeatedly failed. Despite his widespread local fame for scholarship, he never achieved the official career he pursued. It wasn’t until the age of 71 that he was appointed as a tribute student by default. Pu Songling lived a life of repeated failures and poverty... More details about Pu Songling ++

Hongshan Town: Blessed with rich resources and remarkable people, Hongshan Town is the hometown of the famous Qing Dynasty literary figure Pu Songling. Covering an area of 32 square kilometers with a population of 46,000, it administers 24 villages (communities). In recent years, guided by the important thoughts of “...” and the spirit of the Party’s ... and the Third Plenary Session of the 16th Central Committee, Hongshan Town has earnestly implemented the Scientific Outlook on Development. It has vigorously pursued strategies of “strengthening the town with industry, revitalizing it with tourism, and establishing it through environmental protection.” The town has fostered a spirit of liberation, entrepreneurship, and rapid development, further enhancing its overall strength. In 2003, the town achieved a GDP of 567 million yuan, with total... More details about Hongshan Town ++

Further Reading:

· China's National Second-Class Museum

· Sixth Batch of Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level