Hengsha Scholarly Street

Hengsha Scholarly Street

In the southern part of Hengsha Village, Huangpu District, Guangzhou, there is a street over 260 meters long that is home to 53 private schools and ancestral halls dating back to the Qing Dynasty. As a result, the street has come to be known as Scholarly Street.

Recently, He Shiguang, head of the Huangpu District Propaganda Department, revealed that after conducting a comprehensive survey, a protection plan has just been completed, which has provided a basis for the next phase of renovation.

Private Schools Abound on This Rural Street Hengsha Scholarly Street is located in the southern part of Hengsha Village, Huangpu District, and is a street full of old-world charm. Walking along the street, you’ll find one private school after another, including “Rixin Private School,” “Jinjiang Private School,” “Guangren Private School,”

“Wenqing Private School,” “Jingde Private School,” “Liuxiang Private School,” and “Feishi Private School.” In addition, there are also a number of ancient ancestral halls, such as the “Luo Family Ancestral Hall,” “Dexing Luo Ancestral Hall,” and “Yinshi Luo Ancestral Hall.” Besides the private schools and ancestral halls, Scholarly Street has largely retained the old-style alleys and lanes, including “Changchun Lane,” “Defu Lane,” “Chaoyang Lane,” and “Renshou Lane,” among others.

Historical records indicate that Hengsha Scholarly Street was built during the Yuan Dynasty and renovated during the Daoguang, Xianfeng, and Guangxu periods of the Qing Dynasty. Along this approximately 260-meter-long street, there once stood 85 private schools, study halls, ancestral halls, and other ancient buildings.

Why are there so many private schools on such a small street? The general view is that the area has long had a strong culture of scholarship. Private schools were institutions where teachers were hired to teach the children of a single family, though some also admitted the children of relatives and friends.

Former Private School Now a Kindergarten “Rixin Private School” was first built during the Xianfeng period of the Qing Dynasty and has a history of over 150 years. In 1994,

Hengsha Kindergarten moved into the site of this former private school. The kindergarten currently has more than 100 children.

The Luo Family Ancestral Hall Has Become a Senior Center The Luo Family Ancestral Hall was first built in the 51st year of the Kangxi reign during the Qing Dynasty, nearly 300 years ago. The hall has three sections, and nowadays, many elderly villagers like to gather in the central hall of the second section to chat or play cards. The ancestral hall has become a leisure and recreational venue for the elderly.

A Local from Hengsha Became Empress Dowager Cixi’s Musician Luo Xuegu, a native of Hengsha in the late Qing Dynasty, was exceptionally intelligent and had an outstanding memory from a young age. After seeing a painter’s work, he could replicate the painting with great accuracy, and after hearing a musician play, he could reproduce the music. Because he was so skilled at playing the guqin, he was recruited as a musician by Empress Dowager Cixi. Luo Xuegu’s self-portrait is still hung in the hall of “Yuefu” (the place where Luo Xuegu lived).

Experts have verified that within Fuju Lane (now known as Fuju Straight Street) in Hengsha Village lies the residence of Zhu Cheng. Zhu Cheng was the great-great-grandson of Zhu Xi, the Song Dynasty Neo-Confucian scholar, and the founding ancestor of the Zhu family who settled in Hengsha. During the Chunyou era of the Southern Song Dynasty (1241–1252), he served as the education intendant in Luling, Ji’an Prefecture, Jiangxi, where Wen Tianxiang, the chancellor of the Southern Song Dynasty, was his student. Later, Zhu Cheng was transferred to be the Salt Transport Commissioner of Guangdong. His son, Zhu Zhi, married Wen Tianxiang’s sister. Zhu Cheng held the position of Salt Transport Commissioner for only a few months before falling ill and dying in office. At the time, the south was plagued by frequent warfare, making it impossible to transport his remains back to his ancestral home in Fujian. His descendants then settled in Fuju Lane.