Lu Yu Memorial Hall

Lu Yu Memorial Hall

Lu Yu Memorial Hall is designated as a patriotic education base.

Lu Yu Memorial Hall is located by West Lake in Jingling District, Tianmen City. It was built to commemorate Lu Yu, the “Sage of Tea” who lived over 1,260 years ago. This classical-style garden memorial museum showcases the life and achievements of the historical figure Lu Yu. The site is reconstructed on the original location of Xita Temple, Lu Yu’s hometown. It covers an area of 9,900 square meters. The complex consists of four architectural sections: the front hall (Lu Gong Ancestral Hall), the rear hall (Main Buddha’s Hall), Hanbi Hall, Donggang Thatched Cottage, and service facilities. On October 8, 1988, the front hall’s mountain gate and Guyan Bridge were completed and opened to the public. By December 1992, the rear hall and supporting facilities were finished and began receiving visitors.

The main building inside Lu Yu Memorial Hall, the front hall (Lu Gong Ancestral Hall), is situated at the western end of Xisi Road in Jingling City. The structure features a hip-and-gable roof, with an exquisitely crafted and elegantly designed architecture embodying strong traditional Chinese aesthetics. In front of the hall stands a simple yet classic “mountain gate,” with the five Chinese characters “Lu Yu Memorial Hall” inscribed on the lintel—written by He Jingzhi, former Vice Minister of the Central Propaganda Department and renowned poet. At the center of the Lu Gong Ancestral Hall stands a 2.6-meter-tall bronze statue of Lu Yu. The esteemed “Sage of Tea” sits solemnly, holding a tea cup in his left hand, vividly portraying the refined act of tea tasting. Along the sides of the hall, display cabinets showcase relics, artifacts, documents, and photos related to Lu Yu, as well as books, albums, and scholarly articles about him from experts and researchers around the world. Among them are a rare edition of the Classic of Tea (Cha Jing) returned by Emeritus Professor Makiyo Morooka of Tokyo Women's Medical University during the National Lu Yu Academic Symposium held in Tianmen in May 1986, and documentation from the Kyoto “China-Japan Cha Jing Research Exchange Seminar.”

The eastern wall of the Lu Gong Ancestral Hall displays 24 illustrated panels chronicling the life of Lu Yu, the “Tea Sage.” The western wall features nine rectangular panels presenting the full text of the Classic of Tea. The central area exhibits commemorative treasures and publications gifted by Japanese tea ceremony circles and the Korea Lu Yu Tea Classic Research Association. The entire hall exudes elegance and reverence, vividly reflecting Lu Yu’s dedication, rigorous scholarship, and profound erudition.

The rear hall of the memorial is the Main Buddha’s Hall, a two-story, double-eaved building designed in the Tang dynasty style. It boasts a grand scale and graceful architecture. The first floor displays over 3,000 historical relics and treasured antiques passed down through Tianmen City, showcasing the long history and splendid culture of this region in the heart of the Jianghan Plain. Among these are Neolithic stone, pottery, and bone artifacts unearthed from the Shijiahe site, as well as pottery crafts such as ceramic birds and beasts, which have been exhibited at the Palace Museum in Beijing to critical acclaim. The second floor features calligraphy, paintings, and artworks by historical figures from Tianmen, along with some revolutionary relics. These include precious items left behind by proletarian revolutionaries of the older generation—such as He Long, Li Xiannian, and Chen Shaomin—during their revolutionary activities in Tianmen, serving as valuable educational materials for youth on revolutionary traditions and patriotism.

Further Reading:

· China National Third-Class Museum