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Remembering the patriots who fought with their pens
November 16, 2009, Monday
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Print Edition
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A quiet elegant residence in remote Zhangyang Town of Jinshan District was once a hotbed of patriotic fervor as writers, artists and intellectuals gathered there on the eve of the downfall of the decaying Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).
The two-story house of revolutionary patriot Yao Guang (1891-1945) was the meeting place for members of the Nan She (Southern Society) to exchange ideas about the future of China.
Nan She was founded in Shanghai 100 years ago on November 13, 1909.
Its members didn't just sip tea and appreciate the stained-glass windows, gothic architectural elements and carvings of auspicious animals from Chinese mythology. Instead, they "fought" with their pens, helping to bring about the downfall of the languishing Qing Dynasty and its decaying feudalism.
The group promoted democratic revolution and the spread of advanced Western technology and culture during the Xinhai Revolution, also known as the Revolution of 1911.
Today this meticulously renovated building is a Nan She memorial hall, tucked away among rows of old buildings. It opened in 2007.
Built in the early 1900s, the old house with four courtyards features late Qing Dynasty architecture and Western elements.
It has ornately carved ceilings and window frames and eaves carved with figures of legendary animals.
Nan She was a literary association founded by four major intellectuals - Chen Qubing, Gao Tianmei, Liu Yazi and Yao Guang.
The group attracted more than 1,600 intellectuals, all social elites. It included writers Shen Yanbing, Su Manshu and Bao Tianxiao; calligraphy masters Li Shutong and Shen Yinmo; the first education minister of the (future) People's Republic of China, Ma Xulun; and Shao Piaoping, a pioneer in establishing China's early mass media.
"It was not about sipping tea, drinking wine and writing some gossip in the newspaper," says 83-year-old Yao Kuntian, son of Yao Guang and founder of the museum. "Actually my father and his fellows were fighting hard on the frontlines armed with pens as their weapons."
As part of Nan She's mission, the patriotic young intellectuals published volumes of poetry and articles about the need for change. They urged authorities to recognize the traditional importance of integrating advanced Western science and technology into Chinese life.
Since the mid-1980s, Yao Kuntian has been collecting Nan She historical information, manuscripts, articles, documents, paintings, calligraphy, photos and memorabilia of all kinds. All are displayed.
"I feel it's my duty to preserve these things for this and future generations so they can bear in mind that a group of martyrs with faith sacrificed themselves to advance Chinese society," Yao says.
The Yao family was the richest in town, their residence comprised of four jin; a jin is a traditional house with a courtyard and multiple jin signified status and nobility. The house sprawled across Wangjia Lane (now Xinhua Road) and occupied both sides.
Yao Kuntian, the junior Yao, lived in the house until he was 10 years old and then moved to the downtown area. He recalls playing hide-and-seek in the house with buddies and exploring a small hill nearby.
During the "cultural revolution" (1966-76), the wealthy intellectual Yao was sent to the remote mountains of Shanxi Province to do farm work, feed horses and work as a teacher for 22 years.
The house in Shanghai had been taken over by the government in the 1950s. It became a printing house, then an administrative office of the town government, later a cultural center and even a grocery store.
"It was lucky the house was used as a public place," says a 64-year-old villager surnamed Xu. "If it had been turned into residences, it wouldn't have been preserved so well."
When Yao returned from Shanxi to his birthplace in the mid-1980s, he made up his mind to restore the noble past of Nan She, dedicating himself for the next 20 years to collecting documentation and renovating the house into a memorial hall open to the public.
The house is also a memorial to his patriot father, Yao Guang, who died when his son was 18 years old. His statue stands outside.
In designing the hall, Yao Kuntian insisted that all the bricks and wood used in renovation should be exactly like those in the original construction.
Inside the building, Western decorative aesthetics is still evident after 100 years.
At the entrance stands a wooden wall bearing the complete Nan She membership list.
The structure contains 10 halls, which once served as living rooms, bedrooms, guest rooms, wing rooms and a family library. All the documents, paintings, calligraphy, photos and memorabilia are displayed throughout.
"This brings another attraction to Jinshan District," says Yao, "a window on China's modern history for the younger generation.
"I hope more young people do research into Nan She and I will do everything possible to support them," adds the old man.
The two-story house of revolutionary patriot Yao Guang (1891-1945) was the meeting place for members of the Nan She (Southern Society) to exchange ideas about the future of China.
Nan She was founded in Shanghai 100 years ago on November 13, 1909.
Its members didn't just sip tea and appreciate the stained-glass windows, gothic architectural elements and carvings of auspicious animals from Chinese mythology. Instead, they "fought" with their pens, helping to bring about the downfall of the languishing Qing Dynasty and its decaying feudalism.
The group promoted democratic revolution and the spread of advanced Western technology and culture during the Xinhai Revolution, also known as the Revolution of 1911.
Today this meticulously renovated building is a Nan She memorial hall, tucked away among rows of old buildings. It opened in 2007.
Built in the early 1900s, the old house with four courtyards features late Qing Dynasty architecture and Western elements.
It has ornately carved ceilings and window frames and eaves carved with figures of legendary animals.
Nan She was a literary association founded by four major intellectuals - Chen Qubing, Gao Tianmei, Liu Yazi and Yao Guang.
The group attracted more than 1,600 intellectuals, all social elites. It included writers Shen Yanbing, Su Manshu and Bao Tianxiao; calligraphy masters Li Shutong and Shen Yinmo; the first education minister of the (future) People's Republic of China, Ma Xulun; and Shao Piaoping, a pioneer in establishing China's early mass media.
"It was not about sipping tea, drinking wine and writing some gossip in the newspaper," says 83-year-old Yao Kuntian, son of Yao Guang and founder of the museum. "Actually my father and his fellows were fighting hard on the frontlines armed with pens as their weapons."
As part of Nan She's mission, the patriotic young intellectuals published volumes of poetry and articles about the need for change. They urged authorities to recognize the traditional importance of integrating advanced Western science and technology into Chinese life.
Since the mid-1980s, Yao Kuntian has been collecting Nan She historical information, manuscripts, articles, documents, paintings, calligraphy, photos and memorabilia of all kinds. All are displayed.
"I feel it's my duty to preserve these things for this and future generations so they can bear in mind that a group of martyrs with faith sacrificed themselves to advance Chinese society," Yao says.
The Yao family was the richest in town, their residence comprised of four jin; a jin is a traditional house with a courtyard and multiple jin signified status and nobility. The house sprawled across Wangjia Lane (now Xinhua Road) and occupied both sides.
Yao Kuntian, the junior Yao, lived in the house until he was 10 years old and then moved to the downtown area. He recalls playing hide-and-seek in the house with buddies and exploring a small hill nearby.
During the "cultural revolution" (1966-76), the wealthy intellectual Yao was sent to the remote mountains of Shanxi Province to do farm work, feed horses and work as a teacher for 22 years.
The house in Shanghai had been taken over by the government in the 1950s. It became a printing house, then an administrative office of the town government, later a cultural center and even a grocery store.
"It was lucky the house was used as a public place," says a 64-year-old villager surnamed Xu. "If it had been turned into residences, it wouldn't have been preserved so well."
When Yao returned from Shanxi to his birthplace in the mid-1980s, he made up his mind to restore the noble past of Nan She, dedicating himself for the next 20 years to collecting documentation and renovating the house into a memorial hall open to the public.
The house is also a memorial to his patriot father, Yao Guang, who died when his son was 18 years old. His statue stands outside.
In designing the hall, Yao Kuntian insisted that all the bricks and wood used in renovation should be exactly like those in the original construction.
Inside the building, Western decorative aesthetics is still evident after 100 years.
At the entrance stands a wooden wall bearing the complete Nan She membership list.
The structure contains 10 halls, which once served as living rooms, bedrooms, guest rooms, wing rooms and a family library. All the documents, paintings, calligraphy, photos and memorabilia are displayed throughout.
"This brings another attraction to Jinshan District," says Yao, "a window on China's modern history for the younger generation.
"I hope more young people do research into Nan She and I will do everything possible to support them," adds the old man.
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