Hu Shi's Former Residence

　　Hu Shi's Former Residence is situated in Shangzhuang Village. Constructed in 1897 during the 23rd year of the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty, it is a two-courtyard, one-story interconnected building designed by Mr. Hu Shi’s father, Hu Tiehua. The main house faces south, built with a brick-and-wood structure consisting of two courtyards, three rooms, and two side wings, featuring a “looping corridor” style floor. It covers an area of 208 square meters, with a built-up area of 350 square meters. The facade has a single-door, one-story structure supported by two pillars, adorned with brick carvings.

　　The front courtyard has a patio, with side rooms on both sides. The upper floor features a “looping corridor,” while the ground floor serves as the main hall. The rear section is an inner courtyard enclosed by railings and carved partitions, exquisitely detailed. A pair of lotus fairies on the beam brackets are vividly lifelike, and the doors and windows are decorated with orchid-carved panels crafted by Hu Guobin, a master mold-maker from the Hu Kaiwen Ink Shop. These elements reflect Hu Shi’s deep nostalgia expressed in his line, “I come from the mountains, bringing orchids with me,” and his distinctive style. This part has been converted into a nunnery.

　　Hung above the main gate and the central hall are two plaques inscribed with “Hu Shi’s Former Residence,” one vertical and one horizontal, both with gold characters on a black background, personally penned by the renowned Chinese calligrapher Sha Menghai. The interior of the hall remains arranged as it was originally. Below the black plaque with gold characters reading “Hu Shi’s Former Residence” at the entrance hangs a mid-life portrait of Hu Shi, flanked by a couplet: “Traveled ten thousand miles across half the world, with eyes above all under heaven.” Tea tables and armchairs are placed along the east and west walls, and family charts of Hu Shi’s immediate relatives are displayed on the walls.

　　In the room where Mr. Hu Shi got married, the western section was the bridal chamber shared by Hu Shi and Jiang Dongxiu. It contains wooden beds, tables, chairs, cabinets, stools, and more. Notably, there is an elaborately carved “moon palace bed” painted red and gilded, luxurious and elegant, featuring intricate Huizhou-style carvings of operatic scenes and flowers and birds. Above the headboard is a small red lacquered box inscribed with the characters “Imperial Edict,” a relic of Hu Shi’s father, Hu Tiehua. To the right of the bed also hangs a seven-star sword that Hu Tiehua once wore.

　　The front side room was where Hu Shi studied in his childhood. The eastern room and connected side room were used by Hu Jue (Hu Shi’s second elder brother). The main hall and central side rooms display manuscripts handwritten by members of the Hu family, some of Hu Shi’s works, the Hu family genealogy, calligraphy and paintings gifted by distinguished figures from home and abroad, poetry, and group photos of the Hu family. The rear hall is relatively shallow, with a portrait of Hu Shi’s father, Tiehua, hanging at the front. On the east side is a photo of Hu Shi’s birth mother, Feng Shundi. Above it hangs a large red plaque with gold characters reading “Upholding Integrity and Demonstrating Authority,” written by Cheng Dongping from the county and inscribed with the dedication: “Presented by Zhu Yayun, Magistrate of Jixi County, in the 31st Year of the Republic of China.” The residence features 12 floor-to-ceiling partition doors with engraved orchid designs and four window lattice panels with floral patterns and inscriptions, crafted by master mold-maker Hu Guobin.

　　The residence also displays photos of Hu Shi from various periods, a vertical scroll of his handwritten essay “The Doctrine of Annihilation of Spirits” by Fan Zhen, a hat stand gifted to Hu Tiehua by Zhang Zhidong, Hu Tiehua’s seven-star sword, the imperial edict box, and a conch shell brought back from Taiwan. The side rooms exhibit Hu Shi’s family letters, along with many calligraphy and paintings dedicated by modern celebrities.

　　Passing through the central hall leads to the rear hall, separated by a small patio. A small hall here displays a large red plaque with gold characters reading “Upholding Integrity and Demonstrating Authority.” It was gifted by the Nationalist Government when Hu Shi served as the Ambassador to the United States.

　　

　　Hu Shi (1891~1962)　　Hu Shi (December 17, 1891 – February 24, 1962), of Han ethnicity, was a native of Shangzhuang Village, Jixi, Anhui. He was a renowned modern scholar, poet, historian, litterateur, and philosopher. As an advocate for literary reform, he became one of the leaders of the New Culture Movement. Originally named Sizi, his formal name was Hongshi, and his courtesy name was Xijiang, later changed to Hu Shi, with the courtesy name Shizhi. His pen names included Tianfeng and Canghui. The courtesy names Shizhi and Shizhi were derived from the then-popular Darwinian idea of “survival of the fittest.” Hu Shi began his education at age five, receiving nine years of private schooling in his hometown of Jixi, laying a foundation in classical Chinese. In his early years, he attended... More +