Qiushu Li
2 min readQiushu Li was a manor-house belonging to Liu Chenggan, the founder of Jiaye Tang Book Collection House. The construction started in 1930 and was completed in 1931 at the middle of the Republic of China(1912-1949). The construction was mainly to meet the needs of the accommodation for the family to stay in Nanxun as well as to strengthen the management of the Book Collection House. Qiushu Li is the typical architecture that integrates the Western style and the traditional Chinese style. The whole construction consists of lodge, corridor, gate tower, roll door, unattached balcony, hall, interior room, financial office and courtyard.
Qiushu Li is characterized by a long paved path leading to the Western-style gate tower in the middle of the main building at the end of the path. The two-storey building with a flower garden looks very nice. The ground floor was used as a sitting hall, and bedrooms were located upstairs in the past. There is also a hidden attic under the roof. If you open the windows facing the south, you will have the full view of the beautiful garden, and Little Lotus Manor and Jiaye Tang Book collection House can be viewed in the distance. Tourists can also find some rockeries piled up with the Taihu stones in the courtyard.
Liu was never concerned about his wealth and official promotion. He didn’t pursue fame and profits in his all life. All through the years he led a simple life without worldly desires. Even facing the decline of his family during his later years, he treated it with indifference. He called himself Qiushu Anchorite. He also had a private book-room in Shanghai named Qiushu Zhai.
Qiushu Li is used as the place for photographic exhibition of Liu Xucang, whose original name was Liu Chengdong. Liu Xucang was a famous photography artist of modern China and the Chairman of the Shanghai Photography Association. Liu Xucang, the ninth brother of LiuChenggan, was 32 years younger than him. In the 1930s, he became one of the very few photographers in Shanghai. He gave priority to take pictures of the still-life, landscapes and human bodies.54 grand prizes were awarded tohim for his brilliant works from 25 countries including Britain, the United States of America, France and other countries.
The two brothers were born from one family, and each had his own achievements. However, one in Chinese unlined long gown was famous for gathering ancient books while the other in Western suit was renowned for taking photos. The combination of Chinese and Western elements in Liu’s family becomes another anecdote.
