The former residence of Xu Zhimo in Haining, the "love nest" built by Xu Zhimo himself, a small Western-style building that combines Chinese and Western styles

Haining City is located in the northern part of Zhejiang Province and on the north bank of the Qiantang River. It is a small city with a long history. Its name began in the second year of Yongding reign of Emperor Chenwu of the Southern Dynasties and has a history of more than 1,400 years. It means "sea flood". peaceful". Haining has a very profound cultural heritage and has produced numerous literati since ancient times. The well-known Chinese master Wang Guowei, the representative poet of the Crescent School Xu Zhimo, and the contemporary martial arts novelist Jin Yong are Haining natives.

This is not my first visit to Haining City, but it is my first time to visit the former residence of Xu Zhimo. I have visited the former residence of Wang Guowei and Jin Yong before.

The former residence of Xu Zhimo is located at No. 38 Ganhe Street, Xiashi Street, Haining City (formerly Xiashi Town). It is easy to find it after arriving in Haining. Today, the former residence of Xu Zhimo is a Zhejiang provincial cultural relics protection unit and a national second-level tourist attraction. The entrance fee is 10 yuan, and locals are free of charge.

There are actually two former residences of Xu Zhimo, an old house and a new house. The old house is an ancient building built by the Fourth Jinshi in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Unfortunately, it was demolished in 2001. The building you see in front of you is a new house. It was built in 1926 and has a history of nearly a hundred years. It was the short-lived residence of Xu Zhimo and Lu Xiaoman after their marriage. The whole building is very distinctive and is a typical small Western-style building that combines Chinese and Western styles. It covers an area of ??about 1 acre.

Speaking of Xu Zhimo, I believe most people have read his poems, especially Xu Zhimo’s love poem "Accidental", in which he wrote: "I am a cloud in the sky. , you don’t have to be surprised when it occasionally projects into the center of your waves, and you don’t have to be happy that it disappears in an instant.” In modern poetry, it is definitely a unique work.

In the 1980s, Xu Zhimo’s descendants donated this small bungalow to the country. It was restored and repaired in 1999. The restored former residence is a two-story building with a brick and wood structure. The exterior is a blue-grey brick wall with several red brick lines superimposed in the middle. It is very western-style. Turning around and walking inside, it exudes an antique atmosphere. The perfect fusion of Chinese and Western makes it unique.

Colored frosted glass is inlaid in a classical frame, which not only has an excellent decorative effect, but is also a symbol of the owner's status and wealth. After all, at that time, they were all imported from across the ocean. I have seen it in celebrity mansions in Jiangnan ancient towns.

Xu Zhimo was born into a wealthy family. His ancestors were engaged in business. By his father's generation, he had already run banks, silk shops, soy sauce gardens, electric lighting factories and other industries in the town.

This new former residence has two entrances, front and rear. The main building has three rooms on the second floor, with east and west wings. There is also a terrace on the top floor, which shows that his ideas were avant-garde. Of course, this also requires sufficient wealth to be conceivable until it is implemented.

On both sides of the ground floor of the former residence are Xu Zhimo’s family history, life and literature exhibition halls. The calligraphy and paintings vividly show Xu Zhimo’s short but colorful life.

Mr. Xu Zhimo was born in Xia Shi Town, Haining in 1897. He studied at Ding Kaizhi School at the age of 11, and went to Hangzhou Fuzhong at the age of 15. After graduating from Peking University in 1918, he studied abroad. He pursued simple beliefs throughout his life and was comfortable. Use three words to summarize Xu Zhimo's simple beliefs, namely love, freedom and beauty, which can be reflected in his literary works.

Regarding the love story between Xu Zhimo and Lu Xiaoman, you can deeply feel it in "Letter to Lu Xiaoman". Some excerpts are also displayed on the wall here. In simple language, it is not difficult to feel the two people. The sweet love is very enviable. Although it is romantic, it actually has its ups and downs. The free love that dares to break through the shackles was indeed difficult to imagine at the time.

This building is not only a combination of Chinese and Western, but also the decoration. This small Western-style building has more than 20 houses. Its interior decoration and home furnishings were all done by Xu Zhimo himself. Especially its bedrooms are very Western-style, with hot and cold water pipes, bathrooms, and chandeliers that were rare at the time. You can find them all, and it is a mansion even today, let alone in the last century.

Xu Zhimo loved this house so much that he even called it his "love nest", even though he only lived here for two months.