A modern, geometric concrete building stands on the street, its stark gray exterior standing in sharp contrast to the surrounding nineteenth century brick alleyways. This site occupies the ground where the intellectual fervor of the…
Duolun Road Literary History
This walk traces the hidden alleyways and historic brick townhouses where China’s radical 1930s writers launched a dangerous underground literary movement under constant threat of censorship and arrest.
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1. Shanghai Duolun Museum of Modern Art
2. Hongde Temple
Hongde Temple features an unusual architectural blend, with a Chinese style roof perched directly atop a concrete Western structure. Completed in nineteen twenty-eight, this building houses the Hongkou District Buddhist Association. Its…
3. Xi Shi Bell-Tower
The Xi Shi Bell Tower rises above Hongkou as a brick structure with sharp, arched windows and a steeply gabled roof that mimics European ecclesiastical design. Built in the early twentieth century, it served as a signal point for ships…
4. Jingyunli （East Gate）
Jingyunli features rows of grey brick walls and dark wooden balconies that distinguish this shikumen neighborhood from the glass skyscrapers nearby. Built in nineteen twenty-five, these narrow alleys became a sanctuary for intellectuals…
5. China Zuoyi Zuojia Alliance Huizhi Memorial Hall
A brick facade with a rounded arched entrance marks the China Zuoyi Zuojia Alliance Huizhi Memorial Hall. This narrow structure served as a clandestine meeting spot for left-wing writers during the nineteen thirties. In nineteen thirty, Lu…
6. Site of Uchiyama Bookstore
The Uchiyama Bookstore is a narrow, three-story building with a plain gray facade that stands apart from the newer development on Sichuan North Road. In the nineteen thirties, the Japanese owner Kanzo Uchiyama kept a stock of Chinese and…
7. Former Residence of Lu Xun
The three-story red brick house on Shanyin Road features a narrow, dark wooden staircase and a small study where Lu Xun spent the final years of his life. He moved here in nineteen thirty-three to escape political pressure, writing essays…