Lu Xun Guli, Literary heritage site in Shaoxing, China
Lu Xun Guli is a heritage district on Lu Xun Middle Road in Shaoxing, centered on the Zhou family's old and new residences. The ancestral residence covers 2,400 square metres; the former residence at No. 229 covers 580 square metres in six successive courtyards, with Baicao Garden behind. Sanwei Study Room, a row of single-storey rooms about 35 square metres, faces the ancestral residence across a canal.
The complex grew around the family home of one of the twentieth century's most influential Chinese writers, who spent his childhood years there during the 1880s. His early experiences in this place shaped the man who would later transform Chinese literature and society.
Lu Xun was the pen name of Zhou Zhangshou, later Zhou Shuren; he began studying at Sanwei Study Room at age 12. The private school admitted only wealthy pupils, and its plaque and old black chairs and tables are still visible. The Lu Xun Memorial Museum, opened in 1953, holds his belongings and a timeline of his life.
The complex stretches along Lu Xun Middle Road in Yuecheng District, with the former residence at No. 229 and the ancestral residence to its east; Sanwei Study Room lies across the river. The memorial museum has stayed open to visitors at night free of charge since 2018. Allow time to walk between the separate courtyards and gardens.
The gardens feature old plant species, including mulberry trees, that played a role in the writer's childhood and later appeared in his literary works. These botanical elements directly connect the personal history of the place with his written legacy.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 94,027 contributors worldwide.