Taoranting Cibei Nunnery

In the southwest corner of Taoranting Park's Huxin Island, an ancient temple built in the Yuan Dynasty stands quietly, which is the Cibei Nunnery. 

According to historical records, in 1921, the wife of Chen Yusheng, a member of the Young China Association, died of illness and was buried in Taoranting. After that, Chen Yusheng rented two south houses in the Cibei Nunnery, which were ostensibly used to guard his wife's tomb, but actually became a place for Li Dazhao and other comrades to conduct secret activities.

Walking up the stone steps, visitors are greeted by a large locust tree, which is carefully surrounded by a railing about a meter high. The railing holds up a photograph of Mao Zedong with his colleagues of the progressive group Furen Association in Taoranting, which is one of the few photographs left by the young Mao Zedong in Beijing. 

There is a permanent special exhibition "The Struggle of the Pioneers - A Special Exhibition of the Early Revolutionary Activities in the Cibei Nunnery". Rich images, documents and immersive scene reconstructions take visitors back to the years full of revolutionary passion. 

Reservation method: WeChat public account of "Taoranting Cibei Nunnery Appointment"

Address: No. 19, Taoranting Park, Taiping Street, Xicheng District, Beijing

Tomb of Martyr Gao Junyu 

On the shore of Taoranting Park, there is a joint cemetery. One is Gao Junyu, a famous political activist in the early days of the Communist Party of China and secretary to Sun Yat-sen, and the other is the progressive writer and poet Shi Pingmei. An invisible red line closely connects the hearts of two young people and this red line is revolution and patriotism.

Gao Junyu was determined to save the country when he was a teenager. After being admitted to Peking University, he was educated by Marxism under the influence of Li Dazhao, and then joined progressive societies such as the Young China Association. He also participated in the May Fourth Movement as one of the organizers, joined the early organization of the Communist Party of China and became the first group of members of the Communist party. Since then he has been campaigning for the revolutionary cause until his death.

Shi Pingmei is the most beloved woman in Gao Junyu's life, a famous young female writer during the "May Fourth" period, and is known as one of the four talented women of the Republic of China. 

In 1925, due to accumulated work and illness, Gao Junyu's life was fixed at the age of 29, and three years later, Shi Pingmei was overwhelmed by grief and confined to bed due to illness.

I am the sword. I am the spark. I want to live like the light of lightning. I want to die like the swiftness of a comet. These are the inscription on the tombstone of martyr Gao Junyu. They are a poem written by him after his self-titled photo and also a portrayal of his short but brilliant life in his 29 years of life.

Reservation method: The tomb of martyr Gao Junyu does not need to be reserved separately.

Address: No. 19, Taoranting Park, Taiping Street, Xicheng District, Beijing

Translator: BAO Minmin

Reviewer: WANG Yiwen