Xing Pavilion

Xing Pavilion

Xing Pavilion is located on the campus of Sun Yat-sen University. It was donated and built in 1928 by members of the Xing Society of Lingnan University to commemorate three teachers and students: Shi Jianru, Ou Lizhou, and Xu Yaozhang. Shi Jianru entered the Gezhi Academy in 1899 and later joined the Revive China Society. In October 1900, in support of the Huizhou Sanzhoutian Uprising, he attempted to bomb the Viceroyalty of Liangguang and Viceroy De Shou but failed, was later captured, and died a heroic death. Ou Lizhou was a faculty member at Lingnan University, and Xu Yaozhang was a student there. They participated in an anti-British demonstration held on June 23, 1925, and were killed in the Shamian Massacre.

Xing Pavilion is now one of the well-known historical sites on the South Campus of Sun Yat-sen University. It faces the library to the east and the statue of Sun Yat-sen to the south. Every Wednesday evening, it serves as an English corner where English enthusiasts gather to communicate.

Xing Pavilion is one of the few buildings situated along the central axis of Kangyuan Garden. A large bell hangs inside the pavilion, which, according to legend, served as the signal for classes at Lingnan University in the past. Beneath the southern eaves of the pavilion hangs a white wooden plaque. Though the white paint has faded, the relief-carved characters “Xing Pavilion” in Qin-style clerical script, inscribed by Mr. Shang Chengzuo, remain vigorous. The unique Qin-style clerical brushwork created by Mr. Shang adds even more gravitas to this already remarkable pavilion. On the left side of the plaque is the inscription “Supplementarily inscribed by Shang Chengzuo in autumn 1981.” The term “supplementarily inscribed” refers to the original plaque of Xing Pavilion, which was inscribed by Shang Chengzuo’s father, Shang Yanliu, between 1957 and 1961, but was later damaged.

Xing Pavilion was funded and built by the graduating class of 1928 at Lingnan University, the “Xing Society,” to commemorate three martyrs: Shi Jianru, Ou Lizhou, and Xu Yaozhang. Shi Jianru graduated from the Gezhi Academy, the predecessor of Lingnan University, participated in overthrowing the feudal rule of the Qing Dynasty, and was unfortunately arrested. Sun Yat-sen praised him as “the second valiant martyr who sacrificed for the republican revolution.” On June 23, 1925, the “Shamian Massacre” broke out in Guangzhou, resulting in over 200 casualties among revolutionary masses, including Ou Lizhou, a teacher at Lingnan University, and Xu Yaozhang, a student.

Nestled amid neatly trimmed green lawns, an octagonal pavilion with a blue roof and red pillars stands silently in the distance facing the bronze statue of Sun Yat-sen. It silently recounts the patriotic fervor and enthusiasm for democratic revolution of the scholars of Kangyuan in the last century, leaving behind boundless memories and musings for today's visitors.