Former Residence of Liu Guojun

　　Liu Guojun (1887–1978) was born in Shenci Town, Jingjiang County, Jiangsu Province, and was of Han ethnicity. As early as the early 1930s, Liu Guojun stepped onto the stage of China's national industrial history as a seasoned entrepreneur. Later, he brilliantly orchestrated the dazzling scenes of the textile and dyeing industry on this grand stage, capturing worldwide attention. He was honored as an outstanding modern Chinese industrialist and a renowned patriotic industrial and commercial entrepreneur.

　　The former residence of Liu Guojun is located in his birthplace, Shenci Town, adjacent to the Temple of Yue Fei.

　　Approaching the classic Chinese-style gateway, one can see the vigorous calligraphy “Hongyi Garden” (Garden of Great Resolve) inscribed by the famous artist Liu Haisu. The former residence of Liu Guojun consists of the old house, Shan Yu Hall, Jing Xiu Hall, and the newly built Guo Jun Hall. The entire complex is interconnected by corridors and separated by courtyards, with several courtyards and floors arranged in a well-spaced yet integrated layout. The most striking feature is the old house on the left side of the gate — its earthen bricks and gray tiles, covered with patches of moss, house a low bamboo bed, a spinning wheel, and a loom in the humble thatched cottage. They stand like a dusty textbook of frugality and hardship, quietly narrating the tough yet glorious entrepreneurial journey of Mr. Liu Guojun, a pride of China’s national industry.

　　A thought-provoking couplet hangs on the wall of the old house: “Ask me about the hardships of my youth: my lifetime schooling cost just eight hundred coins. I ate three meals of coarse barley gruel each day, and slept on a bamboo-woven bed at night. Half a lifetime’s achievements are thanks to the work of thousands; in wealth and comfort, I never forget the poor.”

　　Stepping out of the old house and through the front courtyard corridor, you enter Jing Xiu Hall, which means “Dedication and Self-Cultivation.” This was the principle that Mr. Liu Guojun upheld throughout his life. In the solemn Jing Xiu Hall hang photos of Mr. Liu and his family. At the age of 15, Mr. Liu left his small hometown of Shenci to seek his fortune in the wider world. In his later years, he returned to his roots in glory. It seems like a full circle, but for 50 years, Liu Guojun remained emotionally tied to his hometown, donating repeatedly to build schools, dredge rivers and ports, and renovate the Temple of Yue Fei. In Jing Xiu Hall, there is a photo of Mr. Liu sitting in his study, behind which hangs a painting of a horse by the renowned Chinese artist Xu Beihong. The horse in the painting is not galloping, but bowing its head to drink water — symbolizing Mr. Liu’s gratitude and remembrance for his roots. This virtue of “drinking water and remembering its source” continued with his descendants. His daughter, Ms. Liu BIRu, every time she returned home for tomb-sweeping or visits, would generously support the local economic development — such as building schools, establishing industries, and developing tertiary businesses.

　　Exiting Jing Xiu Hall and walking through the tree-lined corridor, you will arrive at Shan Yu Hall. Hanging in the center of the hall is a couplet reading “Though aged in years, the heart stays young, forever following the Party,” written in his own handwriting style, making it highly eye-catching. This hall is named after the Shan Yu Dyeing and Weaving Factory that Mr. Liu founded in his hometown during the Republican era. “Shan Yu” serves as the best tribute to him. There is also an intriguing backstory: originally, the factory was called Shan Yu Textile Mill, but Mr. Liu added the character “Heng” (meaning perseverance) after “Shan Yu” to commemorate the teachings of his mother. He recalled that when he was 15 and about to venture out into the world, his mother mimed the motion of weaving and gave him the character “Heng,” saying: “Without perseverance, how can a ball of cotton become strands of yarn, and how can strands of yarn become bolts of cloth?” From then on, he remembered his mother’s lesson and composed a motto to encourage himself: “Travel every day, and you need not fear thousands of miles; act often, and you need not fear thousands of tasks.” Today, Shan Yu Hall has become a place for guests to appreciate couplets and reflect on their meanings. The hall is adorned with calligraphy and paintings by notable figures, offering an elegant and refreshing atmosphere.

　　Stepping out from Shan Yu Hall to the hall garden, you’ll find lush greenery, fragrant flowers, and osmanthus trees blooming in season. The citron trees planted by Mr. Liu’s descendants remain lush year-round, their high branches reaching the eaves. Two magnolia trees are especially eye-catching, growing vigorously with crowns reaching toward the sky. When in bloom, they fill the air with fragrance, their pure white blossoms glistening as if showcasing the noble character of Mr. Liu Guojun. Passing through the wing rooms on either side of Shan Yu Hall, you can reach the exhibition room located on the southwestern side of the residence. The exhibition room vividly recreates the historical records of Mr. Liu Guojun, a renowned industrialist and patriot, through photos and physical artifacts from various periods of his life. Display cabinets around the room provide detailed historical accounts of his entrepreneurial journey, while the walls display inscriptions from former leaders such as Lu Dingyi, Hu Zi’ang, and Liu Jingji, all expressing deep admiration and remembrance for him. Looking at these objects brings memories of the man — how Mr. Liu Guojun pioneered the production of velvet and corduroy in China to compete with Japanese merchants, even creating branded goods that greatly annoyed them. In the spring of 1950, shortly after the liberation of China, Mr. Liu, driven by love for his country and hometown, overcame numerous obstacles and resolutely returned from Hong Kong to the mainland, dedicating himself to the fervent cause of socialist construction. His noble spirit lives on.

　　Walking eastward from the exhibition room for several dozen meters, you will find the newly built “Guo Jun Hall” completed in the new century. At the center of Guo Jun Hall stands a 3.5-meter-tall, 18-ton white marble seated statue of Mr. Liu Guojun. With kind and gentle features, he gazes warmly at the homeland he loved and missed all his life. Above the statue are four golden characters inscribed by Lu Dingyi: “Shen Ai Qin Cheng” (Prudence, Love, Diligence, Sincerity). These shimmering words serve as an apt evaluation of Mr. Liu Guojun. The person Mr. Liu admired most in his life was Yue Fei. He always believed it was Yue Fei’s spirit of “serving the country with utmost loyalty” that inspired his business to move from success to glory. Thus, he and his descendants renovated the Temple of Yue Fei four times. The stories of Liu Guojun’s love for his hometown and patriotism have been widely circulated among the people of Jingjiang and are deeply admired. His children also cared greatly about the hometown’s development, donating to build libraries, Shenci Middle School, and establishing the Liu Guojun Scholarship Fund, all of which became widely celebrated tales in the area.

　　Mr. Liu Guojun’s life journey — from an apprentice in Buniu Town to a wealthy businessman, then from a businessman to a proud figure of national industry who dared to compete with Japanese merchants, and finally to becoming the patriotic and socialist-minded Vice Governor of Jiangsu Province — was made possible because of his “perseverance and integrity,” his “great resolve and self-cultivation,” and his love for his country and hometown. Mr. Liu Guojun has left us a precious spiritual legacy.

　　

　　Liu Guojun (1887~1978)　　 Liu Guojun (November 15, 1899 – June 27, 1980) Pseudonym: Hengru; from Nanjing, Jiangsu Province. Renowned librarian. Graduated from the Department of Philosophy at Jinling University in Nanjing in 1920, and stayed on to work in the university library. In 1922, he went to the University of Wisconsin in the United States to study philosophy, library science, and graduate studies, earning a Ph.D. in philosophy in 1925. He returned to China the same year and served as a professor and director of the library at Jinling University. From 1929 to 1930, he was head of the editorial department at the National Library of Peiping, where he edited the Library Science Quarterly while also teaching part-time at Peking Normal University. In 1930... More+