Liao Zhongkai and He Xiangning Memorial Hall

Liao Zhongkai and He Xiangning Memorial Hall

The Liao Zhongkai and He Xiangning Memorial Hall is a Guangdong Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Unit, a classic red tourism attraction, and a patriotic education base.

The Liao Zhongkai and He Xiangning Memorial Hall was proposed by Comrade Wang Zhen, then Vice Premier of the State Council, approved by the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, and established by the People's Government of Guangdong Province. It officially opened on August 30, 1982, with the name inscribed by Comrade Ye Jianying. In May 1984, Liao Mengxing, the daughter of Liao Zhongkai and He Xiangning, was appointed as honorary director. The current site is the former office building of the Zhongkai School of Agriculture and Engineering, a two-story brick-and-wood structure completed in 1928. On October 12, 1982, it was designated as a "Guangdong Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Unit" by the People's Government of Guangdong Province.

Initially, the museum mainly exhibited the revolutionary and patriotic deeds of Liao Zhongkai and He Xiangning. After the passing of Liao Chengzhi, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, and with the approval of the CPC Central Committee, the museum added an exhibition on Liao Chengzhi’s life and reopened on June 10, 1984, to commemorate the first anniversary of his death.

Since its opening, the museum has received attention and care from Party and state leaders, as well as leaders at all levels in Guangdong and Guangzhou. Central and municipal leaders such as Wang Zhen, Yang Shangkun, Kang Keqing, Liao Chengzhi, Gu Mu, Liu Tianfu, Ren Zhongyi, Yang Kanghua, Liang Lingguang, and Yang Yingbin have all visited and provided guidance.

The museum actively promotes patriotic education and united front education. It is currently a patriotic education base at the provincial, municipal, and district (Haizhu) levels in Guangdong. In 2010, it was listed as a "Guangdong United Front Base." In 2012, it was designated as a "Historical Education Base of the Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang."

In addition to the core exhibitions showcasing the life stories of two generations—Liao Zhongkai, He Xiangning, Liao Chengzhi, and Liao Mengxing—the museum curates original thematic exhibitions every year. Leveraging its resources and expertise, the museum also collaborates actively with media outlets to support films, TV programs, and newspaper features about Liao Zhongkai, He Xiangning, and Liao Chengzhi. It has provided assistance for programs and special reports by media such as China Central Television, the August First Film Studio, Phoenix TV, ATV, and China News Service, helping to expand the international and domestic recognition of these figures.

Since its opening on August 30, 1982, and with strong support from governments at all levels and various sectors of society, the museum’s collection has grown increasingly rich, and its exhibition methods have continually evolved. It has become a leading institution in China for collecting and displaying artifacts related to Liao Zhongkai, He Xiangning, and Liao Chengzhi.

The museum’s exhibitions are divided into four main sections: the Exhibition on the Deeds of Liao Zhongkai and He Xiangning, the Exhibition on the Deeds of Liao Chengzhi after the Founding of the PRC, the Physical Display Room of Liao Chengzhi’s Daily Life and Office Items, and He Xiangning’s Painting Studio. The section on Liao Zhongkai and He Xiangning includes five themes: "Seeking the Truth to Save the Nation and Joining the Anti-Qing Revolution," "Defending Democratic Republicanism and Engaging in the National Protection and Constitutional Protection Movements," "Upholding the Three Major Policies and Promoting the National Revolution," "Struggling Against Domestic and Foreign Reactionary Forces and Welcoming the Birth of New China," and "Working for the Prosperity, Unity, and Strength of New China." Spanning over a century, the entire exhibition comprehensively showcases the glorious struggles of two generations of the Liao family in their relentless pursuit of victory for China’s revolution.

As firsthand participants in many major historical events in modern China, the history of the Liao family reflects a century of transformation in Chinese society. To help visitors better understand the Liao family and the broader historical context, researchers from the museum have traveled to Beijing, Guangxi, Nanjing, and other places to collect materials, obtaining a significant number of historical photographs and documents that have greatly enriched the exhibition content. The museum displays many unique and precious items, such as replica silver notes and overseas Chinese military bonds issued by Liao Zhongkai when he served as Finance Minister of the Guangdong Military Government, a porcelain portrait of Liao Zhongkai and He Xiangning gifted by friends before He Xiangning’s departure abroad in 1929, cartoons and watercolors created by Liao Chengzhi during his imprisonment in the Nationalist prison in Taihe, Jiangxi, a leopard skin gifted to He Xiangning by Marshal Peng Dehuai, painting tools and furniture from He Xiangning’s studio, the academic gown awarded to Liao Chengzhi by Waseda University for an honorary doctorate in law, and the Order of the Rising Sun, First Class awarded to Liao Chengzhi by the Japanese government along with the certificate—all of which are historically invaluable artifacts.

To bring visitors closer to history, the museum meticulously reconstructs “historical scenes” through the display of artifacts, large-scale oil paintings, and silicone simulations. Master painters were commissioned to create works such as “Liao Zhongkai and He Xiangning’s First Visit to Sun Yat-sen in Tokyo,” “Liao Zhongkai at the First National Congress of the Kuomintang,” and “He Xiangning Hosting a Fundraising Art Exhibition for National Relief,” recreating key moments in the lives of Liao Zhongkai and He Xiangning. The silicone simulation scenes “Sun Yat-sen, Soong Ching-ling, Liao Zhongkai, and He Xiangning in Conversation” and “He Xiangning Painting in Her Studio with Liao Chengzhi Watching Nearby” are especially striking for their immersive realism. The museum also employs modern information technology to enhance the exhibition experience, including touch-screen computers on the first floor for visitors to explore background information, and projectors in the painting studio and concluding room to display He Xiangning’s artworks and photos of visits by central and provincial leaders.

Address: Zhongkai Agricultural Engineering Institute, No. 24 Dongsha Street, Textile Road, Haizhu District, Guangzhou City