Former Residence of Zhou Libo

Former Residence of Zhou Libo

The Former Residence of Zhou Libo is a cultural heritage site protected at the provincial level in Hunan and serves as a patriotic education base.

The former residence of the renowned writer Zhou Libo is located in Qingxichong, Dengshiqiao Village, Xielin'gang Town, Heshan District, just 8 kilometers from downtown Yiyang.

The former residence of Zhou Libo is a typical farmhouse with distinctive features of the mountainous countryside in Yiyang — a six-bay, five-room structure built with brick and wood, topped with small blue tiles, and originally constructed by Zhou Libo’s grandfather in the late Qing Dynasty. The wings served as living quarters, while the central part was a shared hall. In front of the house is a pond, and behind it lies a bamboo grove and tea plantation, which remain lush and green all year round, creating a beautiful and refreshing environment. On August 9, 1908, Zhou Libo was born in this quiet and elegant farmhouse. From his birth until he graduated from elementary school, he lived here with his parents in the old Zhou family house. He did not leave his hometown for his revolutionary journey until the age of 16, when he was admitted to the First Middle School of Changsha.

Zhou Libo’s father, Zhou Xianti, was a poor rural teacher who had served as general affairs officer at Longzhou Academy and later as principal of the Zhou Family Feiying Primary School. He passed away in 1942. Zhou Libo was the third among his brothers. His original name was Shao Yi, and his courtesy name was Fengxiang. Legend has it that Zhou Libo’s mother, Liu Zhaozhen, had a wonderful dream before giving birth — she dreamed of a beautiful phoenix circling the woods behind their house and finally perching on a tea tree. Upon waking, she gave birth to a baby boy. Overjoyed, the couple named him Fengxiang. Shao Yi was his formal given name, with “Shao” representing the generational character and “Yi” meaning “a phoenix comes with grace.” “Libo” was the pen name Zhou Shao Yi later used when publishing his literary works — it is the transliteration of the English word “liberty.”

Xielin'gang Town is located in central-western Hunan, about 5 kilometers north of downtown Yiyang, and falls within a hilly region. The Zhixi River runs from north to south through the town, while the Changshi Railway crosses from east to west. Zhou Libo’s former residence is situated in Shiqiao Village, in the central-northern part of the town.

The local climate is a subtropical monsoon humid climate, characterized by relatively high temperatures overall, distinct seasons, limited sunshine, and notable cold, rainy springs. The annual average temperature ranges between 16.1°C and 16.9°C, with sunlight hours between 1,348 and 1,772 annually. The frost-free period lasts from 63 to 276 days, and annual rainfall ranges from 1,230 to 1,700 millimeters — conditions that are favorable for crop growth.

The former residence backs onto ancestral hills and faces south, encircled by mountains. The hills are covered with economic forests such as nanmu bamboo, oil tea, and tung trees, along with ecological woodlands, remaining lush and green all year long.

In front of the residence lies a large lotus pond adjacent to a stream called Qingxi, known for its crystal-clear waters. The stream is flanked by small hills covered with oil tea plantations. In 1958, Zhou Libo donated 3,800 yuan from the royalties of his book “The Great Changes in a Mountain Village” to the village committee. The village used 800 yuan to build a 2,000-square-meter, 30-plus-room brick-and-tile flat-roofed livestock farm 300 meters to the front-left of the residence, and 3,000 yuan to reclaim over 100 acres of hillside land where peach, pear, and chestnut trees were planted. In spring, the peach and pear blossoms bloom; in summer, the fragrance of lotus flowers fills the air; in autumn, fruits hang abundantly; and in winter, the landscape is blanketed in white.

Fifty meters east of the residence, atop a small earthen mound, lies Libo Street. The buildings along the street are modeled after traditional Qing-era residences, featuring wooden frames with brick-and-concrete structures, two stories high, and double-sloped roofs with small blue tiles and embedded white walls — generally harmonizing with the former residence. The street is over 100 meters long, paved with bluestone slabs, and is home to around 30 households. The villagers mainly run shops selling local Yiyang specialties and rustic snacks. Fifty meters west of Libo Street is a dedicated parking lot covering approximately 6,000 square meters, with space for over 100 cars. Northwest of the parking lot is a forested hill with a quiet path leading to Xin’an Village. Extending 200 meters eastward from Libo Street is the former site of the village committee. Twenty meters east of the former village committee site stands a 2,500-square-meter folk opera stage. Northeast of the stage leads to the old house known as “The Mountain-Facing Household.”

Fifty meters west of the residence lies a hilly forested area dense with nanmu bamboo, oil tea, and tung trees. One hundred meters southwest of the residence is a two-story house modeled after Qing-era wooden-framed brick-concrete structures, with double-sloped roofs of small blue tiles and embedded white walls, facing northeast from the southwest — its appearance largely matching that of the former residence. Behind the house, forest paths lead to Xin’an Village. About 1,000 meters southwest of Xin’an Village runs the Zhixi River, stretching from north to south.

Due to years of disrepair, the old Zhou family house had become dilapidated. Now, the Yiyang Municipal Government has listed it as a municipal-level cultural heritage site and allocated funds for renovation in the winter of 2001. The aim was to restore the house as closely as possible to its original appearance, preserving its historic look. Several exhibition rooms have been set up inside the residence to showcase the writer’s lifelong dedication to revolution and his literary works created for workers, peasants, and soldiers.

Location of the Attraction

Qingxi Group, Dengshiqiao Village, Xielin'gang Town, Heshan District, Yiyang City, Hunan Province

People’s Writer Zhou Libo (1908–1979), originally named Zhou Shao Yi, was from Dengshiqiao, Heshan District, Yiyang City, and a famous writer. In 1932, he joined the League of Left-Wing Writers in Shanghai and also became a member of the Chinese Communist Party. In 1939, he went to Yan’an to teach at the Lu Xun Academy of Arts, later transferring to work at the Liberation Daily. During the War of Resistance Against Japan, he compiled his field interview records and diaries from the war zones and wrote a series of reportage works. In 1946, he participated in land reform in Yuanbao Town, Zhuhe County (now Shangzhi County), Songjiang Province (now Heilongjiang Province), where he created… More details about Zhou Libo ++

Xielin'gang Town: Located in the western suburbs of Yiyang City, Xielin'gang Town covers an area of 76 square kilometers and has a population of 34,000. It is the only township under the jurisdiction of Yiyang High-Tech Industrial Development Zone. The town administers 17 villages and 1 community: Mao Village, Zhongshan, Shigangwan, Fengxingshan, Jianshan, Nanmutang, Shiqiao, Gaoqiao, Beifengshan, Shihu, Niujiaohu, Yaque Tang, Fuxing, Qingtang, Yuhuangmiao, Xielin'gang, and Qingshan, plus the Fuzhu Community. … More details about Xielin'gang Town ++