It might not be Bloomsbury, but the some?what ramshackle Badaowan was one of the capital's few literature salons from the early 20th century. On the corner of Zhao Dengyu Lu, and surrounded by half-broken hutong nearby, Badaowan is in sad danger of losing what remains of its historical and cultural identity.

Lu Xun once lived here. [Global Times]

The few remaining residents are still waiting to reach an agreement with authori?ties on financial compensation. It's hard to tell that this used to be the previous home of Lu Xun and his family – and it may soon be impossible to ever know. The hutong is scheduled for demolition in May.

 

No. 11: the family Lu

 

Lu Xun is one of the most famous Chi?nese writers of the 20th century, described by his UK publisher Penguin as "the bench?mark for all contemporary Chinese writers."Born in Shaoxing in 1881, Lu Xun was the pen name of Zhou Shuren, who moved to the siheyuan at No. 11 a year after publishing his classic Diary of a Madman.

Here he lived in classic three-generations-under-one roof style with his mother, broth?ers and brother-in-law as well as his nephew, staying in rooms in the front, where he ac?complished many great pieces including The True Story of Ah Q, and Call of Arms, satirical fiction that was highly critical of various cor?rupt customs and feudal codes of ethics that once permeated China. During this time, Lu and his brother Zhou Zuoren also worked together to consolidate the anti-imperialist, anti-feudal 1919 May Fourth Movement.

Badaowan was much visited by influ?ential scholars such as Cai Yuanpei, Yu Dafu, and Hu Shi. "From research into women and children to sexual psychology, Eastern culture and Ancient Greece, it was the birthplace of much of the academic thought of that time,"Sun Yu, director of the Lu Xun Museum, told Lifestyle. In Sun's opinion, the hutong was one of the most important salons in Beijing: "Its historical and cultural value is no less than any other local salon in the city,"he believes.

Lu and his brother fell out over Zhou's wife which ended with Lu moving; the two brothers seldom spoke again. Because of his revolutionary stance against corruption and feudalism, Lu went on to become a glori?fied figure under Mao and after his death in 1936, become a national icon during the Cultural Revolution (1966- 76). Only now has his work and legacy been re-assessed from the distortions of that time and an acclaimed new translation of his works was recently published by Penguin.