Guo Moruo Former Residence

郭沫若 - Guo Moruo

Guo Moruo (Guo Kaizhen) was a jack of all trades, an outstanding writer, poet, dramatist, historian, archaeologist and paleographer. He was born into a rich family in Leshan, Sichuan Province, in 1892. As a boy, he had access to a wide selection of literary works that sparked a lifelong interest in poetry and language. He went to Japan in 1914, first to study medicine and then literature. In 1918, he began to write a new style of poetry under the pen name Guo Moruo, a name he took from the Mo and Ruo rivers of his beloved hometown.

In 1921, Guo returned to China and published The Goddesses, a poetry collection that helped lay the foundation for Chinese new-style poetry. He promoted modern vernacular in literature through both his scholarly and political efforts. He joined the Communist Party in 1927 and fled to Japan in 1928. While there he studied Chinese history and calligraphy. He returned to China in 1937 and wrote many works in succession, including the historical plays Qu Yuan and Commander's Tiger-Shaped Tally and a history book, The Bronze Age.

Following the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, he held a number of high-level government posts. He was, among other things, vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress and Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, chairman of the China Federation of Literature, and president of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. He also continued writing poetry, fiction, plays, history, and philosophy. He was a prolific writer and academic throughout his long career. Although attacked early in the Cultural Revolution, he managed to escape the horrible fate that other intellectuals suffered and continued to hold power until his death in 1978.

Guo lived here for 15 years, from November 1963 until his death, was formerly a prince's garden during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Today, it's serene park and peaceful home contrast starkly with the chaos of the street outside where bike rickshaw cabbies converge for their group tours through the neighboring hutongs. The dozens of bikes compete for space on the large boulevard with hundreds of tour buses that snake their way from the north entrance of Behai park to the overrated park's of Prince Gong's Residence. If you are looking for a quite park space, skip the tour laden Gong Residence and try this spot instead. Once inside, if your lucky, you can enjoy a quite moment under the flowering trees.