Restored admiration for Zhu family in Songjiang
Staff at the Chedun Culture and Sports Center have put lucky Fu characters and lanterns at the entrance of Qingyang Book House.
Qingyang Book House, after a renovation project at the Zhu Family Old Residence in Chedun Town in Songjiang District, officially opened to the public on February 13, the second day of the Year of the Ox.
The book house is located on the historic Huayang Old Street. Its white walls, dark gray roof tiles and wooden doors are scented with rich culture.
“Qingyang,” the name of the book house, came from the last character of two Chinese verses, which can be translated roughly as “a family who practices good deeds saves good luck for their offspring and a person who reads enormously turns wise and brightened.”
“We collected some of the bricks of the enclosing walls from relics of Huayang Old Street. A decorative stone pier at the entrance of the walls was salvaged from the Yantietang River. I guess it could date back to at least the Qing (1644-1911) or Ming (1368-1644) dynasties,” said Lu Qun, chief of the Chedun Culture and Sports Center.
Lu Qun, chief of the Chedun Culture and Sports Center, says staff at the center have carefully collected books for the book house. In addition, they also collected some of the bricks of the enclosing walls from relics of Huayang Old Street for the venue.
“The Zhu Family Old Residence is a cultural relic in Songjiang District. Though a general renovation took place in 2016, its vacant condition for a long time caused almost desolation of the houses,” Lu added.
A second renovation that lasted about six months in 2020 gave the old residence a brand-new look.
The book house now consists of a hall, a reading room, an exhibition room and a tea room.
Two side walls of the hall are now blank, but will be used for portraits and notes to introduce members of the Zhu family.
“Members of the Zhu family, including Zhu Shujian, Zhu Jixun, Zhu Wuda, Zhu Huaixin and Zhu Mengkuang, are important cultural figures in Chedun’s history. We would like to reserve some space for people to remember the owners of the old residence,” said Lu.
Zhu Mengkuang, a member of the Zhu family, took part in both China’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-1945) and the Korean War (1950-1953). He also served as a fine art teacher for a number of schools in Chedun.
The book house not only provides locals with a space to read books, but will also serve as a venue for various cultural events, according to Lu.
Address: No. 1-3, Lane 163, Huayang Old Street, Chedun Town
How to get there: Take Metro Line 5 to Beiqiao Station, then No. 881 Bus at Beiqiao Stop to the Huayangqiao Stop.
