🏯 Xin Qiji Memorial Hall, High-Tech Zone, Jinan City

"Drunk, I light the lamp to examine my sword; in dreams, I return to the sound of bugles echoing through military camps."
—— A spiritual sanctuary honoring Xin Qiji, the patriotic poet, military strategist, and national hero of the Southern Song Dynasty

📍 Basic Information

• Full Name: Xin Qiji Memorial Hall, High-Tech Zone, Jinan City (formerly known as the Former Residence Memorial Hall of Xin Qiji)
• Address: Sifengzha Village, Linggang Subdistrict, High-Tech Zone, Jinan City, Shandong Province (Xin family ancestral hometown)
• Opening Hours: 9:00–16:30, Tuesday through Sunday (closed on Mondays, except public holidays)
• Admission: Free entry (requires valid ID for reservation or on-site registration)
• Transportation Guidance:
  • Bus: Take K116, K122, or B123 to the "Sifengzha" stop, then walk approximately 300 meters;
  • Self-driving: Navigate to "Xin Qiji Memorial Hall"; a dedicated free parking lot is located on the eastern side of the site.

📜 Historical Origins: A Thousand-Year-Old Hometown, Soul of Loyalty

• Sifengzha Village is the birthplace and youth home of Xin Qiji (1140–1207), part of Licheng County in the Song Dynasty’s Jinan Prefecture. As recorded in The History of the Song Dynasty: Biography of Xin Qiji and Qing Dynasty sources such as Jinan Fu Zhi and Licheng Xian Zhi, “Xin Qiji, styled You’an, was from Licheng. In his youth, he studied under Cai Bojian, mastered the Classic of Filial Piety and Analects of Confucius, and learned Sun Wu’s military strategies.”
• In the 31st year of the Shaoxing era (1161), at age 21, Xin Qiji gathered two thousand men in his hometown to rise against the Jin invaders, later leading his troops southward, marking the beginning of a life marked by both literary brilliance and martial prowess.
• The memorial hall was originally established in 1961 by the Jinan Municipal Government near the ancestral burial grounds of the Xin family; fully renovated and expanded in 2007 to commemorate the 800th anniversary of Xin Qiji’s death; officially incorporated into the Jinan High-Tech Industrial Development Zone management system in 2021 following administrative reorganization, becoming a key cultural landmark of the zone.

🏛️ Architectural Layout: Song-Era Essence, Simplicity as Spirit

The memorial hall is designed in the style of traditional Northern Song dwellings, covering about 12,000 square meters, with a symmetrical central axis that blends commemorative solemnity with regional character:

• Main Entrance: A blue-brick screen wall engraved with Mao Zedong’s handwriting of lines from the poem Yongyu Le: Reminiscence at the North Fort Tower in Jingkou, highlighting the theme of “heroic spirit, shared across millennia”;
• Front Courtyard: A stone-paved path imitating Song-era design, flanked by pine and cypress trees, with a 2.8-meter-tall bronze statue of Xin Qiji at its center—wearing casual attire, eyes piercing forward, left hand holding a scroll, right hand slightly clenched, symbolizing “capable of writing peace into the world, able to ride a horse to secure the realm”;
• Main Exhibition Building (two courtyards):
  • First Courtyard – Life Story Exhibition Hall: Chronological presentation of Xin Qiji’s 52-year official career, including his early roles as magistrate of Jiangyin, governor of Chuzhou, and pacification commissioner of Hunan, detailing 14 positions held throughout his service;
  • Second Courtyard – Literary and Military Achievements Hall: Highlights include facsimile copies of the original manuscripts of Jiaxuan Changduanju, historical editions (including a reproduction of the first edition from Ming dynasty’s Mao Jin’s Sixty Song Poets’ Works), military treatises such as Mei Qin Shi Lun and Jiu Yi, maps illustrating the Southern Song’s resistance against the Jin, and a scale model reconstructing the camp layout of the Tancheng Flying Tiger Army;
• Rear Courtyard – Xin Clan Ancestral Temple and Grave Site Protection Zone:
  • Features a Qing Dynasty stele commemorating the temple’s restoration (Year 29 of Guangxu, 1903), and remnants of the tombstone of Xin Qiji’s father, Xin Zan (a nationally designated Grade III cultural relic);
  • Behind the temple lies the ancestral burial ground of the Xin family (provincial-level protected site), marked by a replica tombstone inscribed “Grave of Mr. Xin, Formerly a Gentleman of the Rank of Fuyi,” surrounded by a ginkgo tree planted by Xin Qiji himself (only one surviving specimen, over 800 years old, under official protection).

🏺 Core Artifacts and Exhibition Highlights

• Treasures of the Hall:
  • 🌟 Copper Token of the "Flying Tiger Army" (Reproduction): Based on research from Collected Records of the Song Dynasty and similar tokens unearthed in Hunan, this reproduction confirms the historical fact that Xin Qiji founded the elite local militia force “Flying Tiger Army” in 1179 during the Chunxi period;
  • 🌟 Original Page from the Qianlong-era Licheng Xian Zhi (high-resolution facsimile): Clearly states “There was once the former residence of the loyal and heroic Gong Xin Zhongmin in Sifengzha”;
  • 🌟 Authentic Calligraphy Scroll of Jiaxuan Ci by Renowned Modern Masters Qi Gong and Shen Peng (permanent exhibition);
• Immersive Exhibits:
  • “Drunk, I Light the Lamp to Examine My Sword” Digital Light & Shadow Hall: Uses holographic projection to recreate scenes of Xin Qiji reading military texts by lamplight and reciting poetry while touching his sword;
  • AR Interactive Screen for Shuilong Yin: Ascending the Xiangxin Pavilion in Jiankang: Scan to hear dialect recitations (in Jinan accent) and explore allusions such as “the pike fish is delicious” and “seeking land and asking about houses.”

🌟 Cultural Value and Contemporary Significance

• Historical Value: The only specialized memorial hall in China built on Xin Qiji’s birthplace, affirming Jinan’s irreplaceable status as the hometown of a literary giant;
• Spiritual Value: Centrally embodies Xin Qiji’s ethos of “taking responsibility for the world,” his unyielding national integrity, and his artistic excellence as the “Dragon among Poets”—a living testament to the Chinese cultural ideal of “family and country as one”;
• Academic Value: Archival materials housed here have been repeatedly cited in authoritative works such as Great Dictionary of Chinese Writers: Song Dynasty Volume and History of Shandong: Song, Jin, Yuan Volume; the museum regularly co-hosts academic conferences with the School of Literature at Shandong University and the Chinese Li Qingzhao-Xin Qiji Association;
• Educational Value: Designated as one of Shandong Province’s first “Base for Inheriting Excellent Traditional Chinese Culture” and a municipal education base for school-based study tours. It offers special programs including “Jiaxuan Poetry Workshop” and “Immersive Experience in Song Dynasty Military Culture.”

🎒 Visitor Tips

• ✅ Recommended Duration: 1.5–2 hours (including time for quiet reflection in the courtyard, detailed viewing of exhibits, and photo opportunities at the ancient ginkgo tree);
• ✅ Best Time to Visit: Spring and autumn (April when crabapples bloom, October when ginkgo leaves turn golden), avoiding midday summer heat;
• ✅ Special Experiences:
  • Free public lecture series “Jiaxuan Elegant Gathering” every Saturday at 10:00 AM (free registration required);
  • The museum’s cultural product shop offers items such as a hand-bound edition of Selected Poems of Xin Qiji, Flying Tiger Army-themed bookmarks, and USB drives featuring Xin Qiji-themed emoji packs;
• ❗ Important Notes:
  • Flash photography is prohibited inside the museum;
  • Maintain solemnity in the ancestral temple area—no climbing the ancient trees;
  • Follow the official WeChat account “Jinan High-Tech Zone Xin Qiji Memorial Hall” for audio guides and updates on temporary exhibitions.

A single poem echoes through a thousand years; half a lifetime’s ambition stands eternal.
Amid the gray tiles and blue bricks of Sifengzha, discover the heart of a man from Jinan—and witness the enduring spiritual riverbed of the Chinese nation.