Former Residence of Xu Beihong in Yangshuo

Former Residence of Xu Beihong in Yangshuo

The Former Residence of Xu Beihong in Yangshuo is a cultural relic protection unit of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

Located at No. 2 Xianqian Street, Yangshuo Town, by the Li River in Yangshuo County, right in front of the gate of the County People's Government.

The former residence was a gift from Mr. Li Zongren to Xu Beihong during his stay in Guangxi from 1935 to 1938. The exterior features white walls, small blue tiles, and slightly yellow eaves. Below the gatehouse hangs a plaque inscribed by Mr. Wu Zuoren that reads “Exhibition Hall of the Former Residence of Xu Beihong,” and a marble tablet engraved with “Former Residence of Xu Beihong” is embedded on one side. The house is of brick-and-wood structure, consisting of a small three-courtyard home, with a tall magnolia tree in the yard filling the air with fragrance.

The exhibition hall mainly displays the real-life scenes of Mr. Xu Beihong’s time here, along with photos reflecting various periods of his life. Masterpieces such as Xu Beihong’s “Mist Rain over the Li River” and “Crossing at Qing’e” were created here. It is now a key cultural relic protection unit in Guangxi.

Xu Beihong (1895–1953)

was an outstanding and renowned modern Chinese painter, educator, and master of modern painting art, hailing from Yixing, Jiangsu. His wife was Liao Jingwen. Xu Beihong’s father was a moderately well-known painter. In his youth, Xu learned painting from his father and sold his artworks in Shanghai at the age of 20. In 1918, he accepted an invitation from Cai Yuanpei to serve as an instructor at the Painting Research Association of Peking University. The following year, he went to Paris to study, later moving on to Berlin and Belgium to study sketching and oil painting. He greatly admired classical European paintings from the Renaissance and later periods, meticulously copying them with great dedication. After returning to China in 1927, he served successively as president of the Peking Art Academy, head of the Art Department at Nanjing Central University, and after the war, as principal of the Peking Art School. After the liberation, he became president of the Central Academy of Fine Arts and chairman of the National Artists Association until his passing. “Mist Rain over the Li River”

In 1935, after arriving in Guangxi, Xu Beihong created the landscape painting “Spring Rain over the Li River,” using bold splashed-ink techniques to depict the world-famous scenery of Guilin. The painting harmonizes scene and emotion, with free-flowing brushwork and a uniquely innovative style, representing a masterpiece of Chinese freehand landscape painting.

Admission & Opening Hours

Free admission.

Address:

No. 5 Xianqian Street, Yangshuo County, Guilin City

Opening Hours:

8:00-17:30

Best Travel Season

April to October. During this period, Guilin enjoys mild weather, abundant rainfall, and ample sunshine.

This is also the peak tourist season, when room bookings and transportation are in high demand, and prices are higher than usual, so it’s best to avoid this time if possible.

Yangshuo boasts numerous attractions, all within short distances of each other, with crisscrossing rural paths—perfect for biking.

Xu Beihong (1895–1953), of Han ethnicity, originally named Xu Shoukang, was from Qiting Town, Yixing City, Jiangsu Province. He was a modern Chinese painter and art educator. He studied Western painting in France and, upon returning to China, long engaged in art education, teaching at the Art Department of the National Central University, the Art College of Peking University, and the Peking Art School. After 1949, he served as president of the Central Academy of Fine Arts. He excelled in figure painting, animals, and flowers and birds, advocating realism and holding Ren Bonian in especially high esteem among traditional artists. He emphasized incorporating Western painting techniques into Chinese painting reform and stressed accurate depiction of light, form, and anatomical structure in his artwork... More details about Xu Beihong++