Paying Homage to a Literary Giant at 12 Huangxian Road, Qingdao

The literary giant Lao She came to Qingdao in 1934, taking up a teaching post in the Chinese Department at National Shandong University, where he remained until he left in 1937. While renting a residence at 12 Huangxian Road in Shinan District, Qingdao, he wrote numerous novels, essays, and miscellaneous writings, among them his famous novel Camel Xiangzi. Today, that residence has been opened as the "Lao She Former Residence Memorial Hall" and the "Camel Xiangzi Museum", the first memorial hall in China named after a literary work.

Stepping into the courtyard, aside from the stone-slab comic strip of Camel Xiangzi set into the surrounding wall, a circular bronze sculpture of "Camel Xiangzi" is particularly eye-catching. As a sculptural form, what distinguishes a circular sculpture from a relief is its relative sense of planar depth and three-dimensionality. The circular sculpture of "Camel Xiangzi" here allows you to appreciate the three-dimensional form from multiple angles and viewpoints, enhancing the overall expressiveness of the piece and letting us see different facets of the figure from each perspective.

Entering the exhibition hall, you can see different editions of Camel Xiangzi published over the years – a testament to how exceptionally popular the book has been.

Since its release, Camel Xiangzi has been beloved by a wide readership and has been adapted into various stage plays, films, and TV series.

Released on the mainland in 1982, the film Camel Xiangzi, directed by Ling Zifeng and starring Zhang Fengyi and Siqin Gaowa, is a classic of its era, and the original movie poster is still preserved at Lao She's former residence in Qingdao.

Master writer Lao She was not only a man of letters; he could also wield swords and spears, excelling in both scholarly and martial arts. It is said that when the poet Zang Kejia once visited him at home, he was startled on entering – the walls were hung with swords, sabres, staffs, and clubs. Zang asked what this was all about, and Lao She laughed, saying it was for physical exercise. In 1964, Lao She led a delegation of Chinese writers to Japan; a young Japanese man, hearing Lao She was a martial arts practitioner, pestered him for a sparring match. The then 65-year-old Lao She crossed hands with him, and within a few rounds, the young man was thrown to the ground, stunning everyone present.

Forming friendships through literature and through martial arts, Lao She, a man both cultured and combat-ready, also associated closely with figures from the martial world. Among the weapons used by the writer, I was surprised to discover some that belonged to Mao Liquan, the third-generation master of Yuanyang Mantis Boxing. It turned out that these were weapons Lao She had tried out while exchanging martial techniques with Master Mao back in the 1930s. There is also a treasured manual On Yuanyang Internal Boxing. All of this reveals a lesser-known side of this literary master.

The Lao She Memorial Hall in Qingdao is not large and can hardly accommodate hordes of visitors. It is said that this modest scale is intentional – a place for those who truly love literature and admire Lao She to seek out quietly and explore at their own pace.

In 1933, a bookshop specialising in new literary and arts publications appeared in Qingdao – the Desert Island Bookstore. Though small in size, it gained a considerable reputation and attracted many progressive youth and eminent scholars; figures such as Wang Tongzhao, Xiao Hong, and Xiao Jun all left their traces here.

Lao She was also a regular at the Desert Island Bookstore; stepping out along this little path from his own backyard would lead straight to it.

Time flies when you are immersed in paying your respects to the master. Hours pass in the blink of an eye. The spirit of Lao She's unceasing quest for learning inspires everyone who comes here to visit and learn. The mountains stand verdant, the ocean stretches vast – the spirit of the master endures, as lofty as the hills, as enduring as the flowing waters!