Former Residence of Lü Simian

　　The former residence of Lü Simian is situated at No. 8-10, Xinsheng Lane, Shizi Street, Hualong Alley, downtown Changzhou. Lü Simian (1884–1957), courtesy name Chengzhi, was a native of Changzhou and a renowned modern historian. The residence is a Qing Dynasty building with a flush gable roof, facing south, comprising four courtyards and 21 rooms in total. The first courtyard is the entrance house, fronting Shizi Street; the second holds a three-room main hall with a rear veranda; the third is a guest room, featuring a front courtyard planted with flowers and trees, and one bedroom on each east and west side. On the first day of the second lunar month in the tenth year of the Guangxu reign during the Qing Dynasty, Lü Simian was born in the western bedroom, where he spent his childhood living and studying. The fourth courtyard includes a two-story building with three rooms on each floor. An additional wing room on the eastern side of the courtyard connects to the eastern bedroom, housing over 20 boxes of books, calligraphy and paintings, and daily items collected by Lü Simian. The vermilion plaque inscribed with “Former Residence of Lü Simian” was written by Zhou Gucheng. It is a municipal-level cultural heritage site.

　　His ancestors came from an intellectual family in Changzhou, Jiangsu, known as a “family of scholar-officials for generations,” once celebrated for “four generations passing the imperial examinations” and “five sons achieving scholarly honors.” His great-grandfather, grandfather, father, and immediate ancestors all studied and entered officialdom, immersing Lü Simian in a richly scholarly environment from childhood. He began schooling at an early age and, due to poverty preventing the hiring of a tutor at age twelve, was taught historical texts by his parents. At fifteen, he passed the county-level exam of Yanghu County. By sixteen, he was independently studying ancient historical classics. Under the strict guidance of his parents and teachers, he remained diligent, hardworking, and committed to academic research, eventually becoming a leading scholar. Starting in 1905, he taught successively at Soochow University (Dongwu University) in Suzhou, Changzhou Prefectural Middle School, Nantong National Language Specialized School, Shanghai Private First-Class Commercial School, Shenyang Higher Normal School (later renamed Northeastern University), and the First Teachers College of Jiangsu Province. He also served as an editor for Zhonghua Book Company and the Commercial Press. From 1926 onward, he was a professor of Chinese literature at Guanghua University in Shanghai, later becoming a professor and head of the Department of History. In 1941, after the fall of the Shanghai International Settlement, Guanghua University relocated to Sichuan. Lü returned to his hometown with his family and devoted himself to writing. After the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, he returned to Guanghua University. After 1949, he became a first-class professor in the Department of History at East China Normal University, a council member of the Shanghai Historical Society, and a member of the Jiangsu Provincial Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference.

　　Lü Simian left behind a wealth of academic works. His book Vernacular History of China is considered the most complete and authoritative textbook on national history. His historical insight and integrity were unparalleled in China, with the eminent scholar Yan Gengwang ranking him among the “Four Great Historians” alongside Chen Yinke, Qian Mu, and Chen Yuan. Lü Simian maintained a rigorous and grounded academic approach, along with a sincere, modest, and prudent character. He held unique insights in classical studies, philology, and literature. In his later years, he wished to read through the Daoist Canon and study Daoist thought, aiming to pave the way for future scholars—an ambition he unfortunately did not fulfill. He passed away on October 9, 1957, at the age of 74, in Huadong Hospital, Shanghai. Years later, his daughter Lü Yiren recalled some of her father’s qualities, saying: “Leo Tolstoy took an era with him, but I always felt my father took a moral standard.” What Lü Simian left to posterity is not only an immensely rich historiographical legacy, but also his moral character, deep patriotism, profound concern for the nation, society, and country, as well as his exemplary role as an educator and dedication to teaching. In his book Cultural Talks of China, Qian Mu lamented the need for a group of independent and fearless scholars, untroubled by worldly affairs, who could preserve the lifeblood of Chinese culture and serve as the foundation for a new national culture. In this regard, Lü Simian was truly deserving.