Mengzi Sub-campus Exhibition Hall of National Southwestern Associated University, Honghe

?️ Southwest Associated University Mengzi Branch Memorial Hall

? Location & Historical Value

• Located inside the Colossus & Co. building, a national-level protected heritage site, opened in 2011.

• China’s only themed museum fully dedicated to the history of the Mengzi Branch of the National Southwest Associated University.

• French-style architecture, restored with 6.4 million RMB, retaining its original appearance; exhibition area 1,100 m²; free entry.

? Educational Epic — 180 Days That Shaped Minds

• In April 1938, due to insufficient space in Kunming, the Liberal Arts and Law & Business Faculties moved to Mengzi.

• Famous scholars such as Zhu Ziqing, Wen Yiduo, and Feng Youlan taught here.

• Though it operated for only one semester (~180 days), faculty and students launched night schools and anti-Japanese propaganda, igniting enlightenment in the frontier region.

? Exhibition Highlights & Narrative Flow

1. History of the University

   • The Long March South: Relief wall “Song of Learning Amidst Flames” depicts the arduous trek from Changsha to Kunming; includes migration route maps and original luggage.

   • Motto & Anthem: “Perseverance and Excellence” engraved at the entrance; university anthem plays in the background.

2. Mengzi Branch Story

   • Scene Reconstructions: Recreated dormitory and poetry club rooms; Wen Yiduo’s study “Why Go Downstairs” is on display.

   • Daily Life: Utensils from noodle shops and cafés, reflecting how a bowl of rice noodles eased homesickness.

3. Hall of Talent

   • Original admission ticket of Yang Zhenning, stories of 8 “Two Bombs, One Satellite” scientists including Deng Jiaxian, and a wall listing 173 academicians.

   • Military service records of 1,100 students who joined the army, 300 of whom became air force pilots.

4. Spirit of the University

   • Night school re-creations, teaching of patriotic songs, and anti-Japanese couplet writing.

   • Handwritten lecture notes and mimeographed textbooks show intellectual resilience in material hardship.

? Historical Setting & Cultural Atmosphere

• Heritage Cluster – Five surviving university-related sites nearby, such as Mengzi Customs House and Bisezhai Railway Station, can be linked into a “Cultural Footprints Trail.”

• Poetic South Lake – Inspired Wen Yiduo’s description as “a simple farm girl”; still hosts commemorative performances under century-old banyans.

⏰ Visitor Guide

? Summary
A lighthouse of culture in wartime — this memorial fixes in time the steadfast defense of knowledge by scholars and the awakening it sparked in a border city. The Colossus & Co. walls and the South Lake breeze together whisper a truth: war may raze buildings, but never the backbone of a nation’s spirit.

  
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