Located in the southeast corner of Lu Xun Park in Hongkou District, the Lu Xun Memorial Hall stands as a simple and elegant two-story courtyard-style building, characterized by its green tiles and white walls, exuding a sense of simplicity and tranquility. Here, visitors can explore Mr. Lu Xun’s manuscripts, as well as his personal belongings, daily necessities, letters, photographs, and book collection, allowing a deeper understanding of the great man through these intricate details.
Opened in 1951, the Lu Xun Memorial Hall is the first memorial hall dedicated to an individual after the founding of the People’s Republic of China. Upon arrival, one can see the name of the hall on the gable wall, and within the hall, there is an inner garden named ‘Baicao Garden’. The garden is lush with vegetation, with the walls covered in Polygonum multiflorum, a well, and a traditional Chinese boat with a black awning. Both the well and the boat originate from Lu Xun’s hometown, Shaoxing.The first floor of the memorial hall features the ‘Zhaohua Library’, a special collection for cultural celebrities, and the ‘Benliu Art Garden’, a thematic exhibition hall, which often hosts various cultural exhibitions in different forms. The second floor is dedicated to the main exhibition area of Lu Xun’s life, with collections mainly obtained through annual solicitation and donations from Lu Xun’s wife, Xu Guangping, and his friends.
Visitors can see Lu Xun’s manuscripts, clothing, daily necessities, and numerous precious photographs, gaining a detailed understanding of his life and deeds through extensive text and images. A must-see treasure within the hall is the plaster cast of Lu Xun’s face, made by a Japanese friend on the day of his passing from his visage, with the attached beard and eyebrows being the only original items left from Lu Xun himself. Additionally, one can view the scene of the Nei Shan Bookstore and various editions of Lu Xun’s works.
Adjacent to the memorial hall, within Lu Xun Park, lies Lu Xun’s tomb, which can be visited for a respectful tribute. The memorial hall is close to Tian’ai Road and Shanyin Road, two tree-lined streets filled with romantic and artistic atmosphere, which are also worth a stroll. On Shanyin Road, one can find Lu Xun’s former residence in Shanghai, a short 7-minute walk away. The hall is open year-round from Tuesday to Sunday, 09:00 to 17:00; it is closed all day on Mondays.
