Guo Moruo (guō mò ruò 郭沫若) (1892-1978) was an outstanding Chinese writer, poet, dramatist, historian, archaeologist and paleographer. He wrote several historical plays and one of them is "Qu Yuan"(qǖ yuán 屈原) (1942), telling the story of a dissident poet of the 4th-century BC. He also wrote lots of studies on Chinese archaeology, history, and literature. He worked as a government official from 1949 until his death. The courtyard where Guo had lived for 15 years, from November 1963 until his death, was formerly a prince's garden during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). It was listed as an important cultural relic under state protection in 1982, on Guo's 90th birthday, and officially opened to tourists in 1988.

Guo Moruo's residence in Beijing,near Shicha Lake (Shí chà hǎi 什刹海), where he lived after his war with his second (or third, if the arranged marriage is to be counted) wife, is preserved as a museum.It was in this small courtyard that Guo wrote his theses, monographs, poems and other works. Many manuscripts, books and documents are still kept there.

Guo Moruo’s former residence has an interesting history. In the early Qing Dynasty, the land was a garden belonging to the notorious official He Shen (hé shēn 和珅). In the mid-19th century, it served as a straw storage and horse paddock for Prince Gong (gōng qīn wáng 恭亲王) nearby mansion. During the first half of the 20th century, the prince’ descendants sold it to a leading pharmacy in the capital. After 1949, it was the embassy of the Mongolian People’s Republic, and the Song Ching-ling, honorary chairman of the People’s Republic of China, lived there for a short time. It was the home of Guo Moruo from 1963 till his death.

Guo loved nature. The flowers and plants Guo and his wife planted continue to flourish. On the lawn in north end of the courtyard stands a gingko tree, which Guo called "the national tree of China" and "a living monument to Chinese culture." There is a short story behind this tree. In 1954, Yu Liqun (yú lì qún 于立群), Guo's wife, left Beijing for medical treatment. Missing her very much, Guo brought a tree seedling from a forestry center and planted it in his courtyard at 5 Dayuan Lane in Xicheng District. He named it the Mother Tree. Guo taught his children to water and trim it and asked them to pray for the early recovery of their mother. When the family moved in 1963, they also moved the tree to the new courtyard. The Mother Tree is flourishing to this day and is heavy with fruit every autumn.The grounds are spacious and contain a double courtyard house, which is preserved much the way Guo left it at his death. The buildings include his office and living quarters, his wife’s paingting studio. An unusual feature is that several of the structures are connected by heated corridors, which was a luxury in Beijing in those days.

On the lawn is a bronze statue of Guo, a work by Situ Zhaoguang, a well-known sculptor and professor at the Central Academy of Fine Arts, on the 10th anniversary of Guo's death. The shining statue of Guo gazes forever at the Mother Tree.

Attractions Nearby:
Bei Hai Park
Forbidden City
Zhongshan Park
Drum Tower
Bell Tower

Address: The west of Tian'an men Square.
Public Transportation:Take bus No.13、701、850、810、111、107、118 and get off at the north of Bei Hai (běi hǎi 北海) Park.
Or you can easily get there via Subway Line 2 and get off at the Gu Lou (gǔ lóu 鼓楼) stop.
Admission fee: 20 yuan (half-price for student ticket)     (Click above to view the map)
Opening hours: 9:00-16:30

tags: Travel in Shanxi      Travel in Tibet