SISU Faculty and Students Visit the “Hongyi Memorial Lodge” for Immersive Red Education

 

By Liu Yuehan

Translated by Guo Yishun

On November 7, faculty and student representatives from the SISU Alumni Association and School of Journalism and Communication visited Shanghai's Hongyi Memorial Lodge, the former residence of daughters of martyr Du Zhongyuan. The delegation was guided by 1996 alumnus Xia Jin, now custodian of the memorial, through an immersive education activity connecting red heritage with professional development.

Du Zhongyuan (1897–1943) was an industrialist, journalist, educator and revolutionary martyr. After studying ceramics science and engineering in Japan, he founded one of China's earliest mechanized ceramic factories in Shenyang. Following the 1931 Japanese invasion, he dedicated himself to the resistance movement. In Shanghai he debuted as a star reporter for Life Weekly, and bravely resurrected and renamed it into New Life Weekly after the original one was banned and its editor banished. Du's magazine became a leading voice in patriotic journalism for national survival in Republican China. His fearless Japan-resistance stance led to his imprisonment in the famous New Life Incident of 1935.  He contributed substantially to the Second KMT-CPC Cooperation. Later, as president of Xinjiang College, he continued his patriotic work under the leadership of the CPC until his martyrdom in 1943. Remembered as a most ardent patriot, his life exemplifies the integration of industrial development, journalistic integrity and revolutionary spirit.

Inside the memorial, visitors encountered original newspapers, documents and photographs tracing Du's remarkable journey from industrialist to revolutionary journalist. As founder of New Life Weekly, his powerful editorials mobilized public resistance while exposing social injustice, demonstrating his unwavering commitment to truth and patriotism.

Xia Jin also shared stories of Du's wife, Hou Yuzhi(herself an exceptionally versatile law professor), who well-kept and promoted her husband's legacy while successfully raising their three children after his death. Archival materials illustrated the whole family's dedication to the nation, portraying a household where personal responsibility aligned with national duty.

During discussions, Xia Jin and SISU representatives advanced plans for the Du Zhongyuan Journalism Practice Scholarship. Xia expressed hope that journalism students would carry forward Du's spirit of dedication and social responsibility.

Wang Huihua, Secretary-General of the Alumni Foundation, expressed the Foundation's full support for the establishment of the scholarship and for integrating red culture into talent development. Associate Dean Wu Xiujuan and Deputy Secretary Jing Feipeng emphasized how Du's legacy remains relevant to contemporary journalistic practice.

Student participants described the visit as an inspiring extension of classroom learning, recognizing in Du's story the moral weight and social duty inherent in journalism.

The activity successfully merged red heritage with journalism education, enriching the university's second classroom. Organizers hope more students will visit Hongyi Memorial Lodge to draw inspiration from Du Zhongyuan's commitment to journalism and national service.