Martin Hall is not only the oldest building in Kangyuan Park, but also one of the earliest reinforced concrete structures in modern China. Photo by Yao Mingji Sun Yat-sen and his party took photos in front of Martin Hall. Photo courtesy of Yale Divinity School Library, Side view

Martin Hall is not only the oldest building in Kangyuan Park, but also one of the earliest reinforced concrete structures in modern China. Photo by Yao Mingji

Sun Yat-sen and his party took photos in front of Martin Hall. Photo courtesy of Yale University Divinity School Library

The side of Martin Hall. Photographed by Ye Jiayi

The stone lion sculpture in front of Martin Hall. Photographed by Ye Jiayi

Old photos of Martin Hall. Photo courtesy of Yale University Divinity School Library

Architectural Archives

Name: Martin Hall

Completed: 1906

Area: 2516.48 square meters

Address: No. 334, Northeast District, Kangyuan District

Value: Martin Hall was rated as a Guangzhou municipal cultural relic protection unit in 1993; in 1996, it was rated as one of China's outstanding modern buildings by the Ministry of Construction, the State Administration of Cultural Heritage and the Architectural Society of China; in 2000, it was listed as a modern and modern building by the Guangzhou Urban Planning Bureau. List of modern outstanding architectural groups for protection; in August 2002, it was approved by the Guangdong Provincial Department of Culture as a cultural relic protection unit in Guangdong Province.

November 12, 2024 is the 100th anniversary of the founding of Sun Yat-sen University. Southern Metropolis Daily launches a series of reports called "Reading the Centennial Architecture of Sun Yat-sen University" to showcase the century-old history of Sun Yat-sen University's campus architecture and bring more readers closer to this famous institution. This is the first issue of the report. Follow-up reports will be released in the near future, so stay tuned.

"Outside the Martin Hall, the trees are covered with smoke, and the rain blows in the east wind, making things fresh. The fragrant grass adds to the beauty of spring flowers, and both of them laugh at the door." In 1935, a Lingnan University student published this song in a magazine called "Spring Rain Scenery" The poem depicts the campus under the filter of spring rain, with lush flowers and trees, green flowing light, and every place is full of vitality and vitality, which makes people daydream. The "Martin Hall" in the first sentence is the oldest building in the South Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, which will celebrate its 100th anniversary in November 2024. Not only that, it is also one of the earliest reinforced concrete structures in modern China, and even more Most importantly, starting from Martin Hall, the red walls and green tiles have become the keynote of the architectural style in Hong Yuen Park.

Setting the architectural tone of Kangyuan Hall

The original name of Martin Hall was "east hall". As the name suggests, the east hall is a building on the east side. This directional reference was relative to the planning of the entire campus at that time. Yao Mingji, former deputy director of the Sun Yat-sen University Archives, who has done extensive research on the Hong Kong Red Building, said that Lingnan Academy made the decision to purchase land and build a school on Henan Island in Guangzhou as early as early 1902. On October 18, Dr. Oscar F. Wisner, the supervisor of Lingnan Academy, paid the purchase price for the first piece of land later known as "Kang Yuen Park". However, because this land is composed of many small plots, the ownership of the land is complicated. It was not until the spring of 1904 that the school purchased a total of 30 acres (approximately 0.1214 square kilometers) of land in the area. "The land purchased by the school is in an excellent location on Henan Island, which is close to the urban area. It is close to the Pearl River and has convenient transportation. It is on a high ground and overlooks the landscape of Baiyun Mountain. It is a perfect place for studying and studying. More importantly What’s more, the school believes that it has a good foundation for further building the school.”

As soon as the land transaction was completed, Dr. Charles K. Edmunds, a teacher at Lingnan Academy, conducted a preliminary survey of the new school site, put forward preliminary planning ideas, and presided over the construction of several simple houses as school buildings. . At the same time, Lingnan Academy moved back to its Kangle campus from Macau. Subsequently, the New York-based board of directors of Lingnan Academy also hired the American firm Stoughton Architects to plan the campus and draw the location plans of the houses to be built at that time.

Regarding the planning and design of the campus at that time, Associate Professor Wu Huanyu of the School of Social Sciences of Shanghai University pointed out in his "Martin Hall Historical Research Report" that there were many differences between the 1904 Lingnan University campus plan and the 1895 University of California, Berkeley campus plan. Similarities. “The similarity in the planning structures of the two campuses is likely to stem from a spatial layout trend called ‘beaux-planning’.It is the main method and style of urban and community design in the United States after the 1893 Chicago World's Fair. It emphasizes geometric rules and classical aesthetics. It is also the mainstream trend of American university campus planning in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. "

In 1905, the foundation stone of Martin Hall began. The construction fund of 25,000 US dollars came entirely from the sale of securities by the New York Board of Directors. The designer was the American Stoughton Architects firm that planned the campus, and named it according to the plan. "East Hall" - The lintel on the north side of the building was originally marked "east hall", but it has been erased. In 1906, Martin Hall was officially completed as one of the earliest reinforced concrete buildings in modern China. It became a milestone in the history of Chinese architecture and caused a great sensation at the time.

It can be seen from the old photos in the library of Yale University Divinity School that Martin Hall was originally a three-story building with a basement and attic. The architectural features are English-style, with a surrounding gallery, a roof with straight slopes on all sides, and six fireplace chimneys extending out of the roof. "In fact, the roof of the originally completed Martin Hall did not have Chinese-style green tiles, because in the Manchu and Qing Dynasties, green tiles were used. Use in private buildings is not allowed. "Wu Huanyu revealed to Nandu reporters that it was not until around 1913, when the American architect James R. Edmunds succeeded Staunton Architects and became the main designer of the construction of Lingnan University, that the construction of Lingnan University was completed under his auspices. Martin Hall (including the roof) was renovated. Yan James was the brother of Yan Wenshi, the supervisor of Lingnan Academy at the time. He served until about 1926 and successively designed the Huaishi Hall, Mrs. Ma Yingbiao Nursing Home, Ma Yingbiao Reception Room, Tan Kah Kee Memorial Hall, There are more than ten important buildings such as Java Hall, Bajiao Pavilion, Shiyou Hall, Zhang Bishi Hall, School of Science, and Rongguang Hall. “Yan James showed a strong interest in the regional characteristics of Lingnan in his use of decorative elements and architectural colors. In his works, herringbone two-slope roofs, glazed decorative components, and the unique Lingnan ridge style have been widely used, and the architectural colors are richer. Martin Hall can be said to be the first modern campus building to combine a Chinese-style large roof with a Western-style wall. The buildings of Lingnan University built thereafter basically inherited this style. "The building has been renovated several times over the past century. After 1930, all the open verandahs were changed to closed verandahs, the roofs were changed to verandah roofs, the chimneys and dormer windows were removed, and in 1965, the verandah roofs were changed to the current Dingding. This More later.

In 1905, in memory of Mr. Henry Martin (Herry Martin), the entrepreneur from Cincinnati in the United States who made the largest donation in the early days of the school, the "East Campus" was named "Martin Hall" and was marked on the south lintel of the building. The words "martin hall" have now been erased.

The earliest formal museum in Guangdong

A reporter from Nandu found a rock with the words "ad 1905" embedded in the wall on the lower left corner of the south facade of the building. An old photo - it was a group photo of Sun Yat-sen and the school staff on the steps in front of Martin Hall when he first visited Lingnan Academy in 1912. "On May 7, 1912, at the invitation of Zhong Rongguang, the then Chinese dean of Lingnan Academy, Sun Yat-sen. Visited Lingnan Academy and delivered a passionate speech in Martin Hall. At that time, more than 300 students from the whole school came to appreciate the elegance of the founding father. Martin Hall could not accommodate so many people, and some of them sat on the floor in the corridor. In his speech, Sun Yat-sen mentioned his famous view that "without knowledge, there is no construction" and emphasized the role of knowledge and scientific knowledge in construction. The listeners were all inspired. "Yao Mingji, the author of the book "Glimpses of the Red Building - Modern Architectural Landscape of Kangyue Park, Sun Yat-sen University" told Nandu reporters, "At that time, Sun Yat-sen's speech could only be held in Martin Hall, because there was only this permanent building on the campus at that time. In addition to the Great Hall, Martin Hall also assumes multiple functions for teaching and research, that is, it simultaneously serves as a classroom, library, museum, etc. However, among the many functions of Martin Hall, its museum function can be said to be the first to become popular.

Professor Zheng Junlei from the Department of Anthropology of Sun Yat-sen University pointed out in the book "Treasures from the Anthropology Museum of Sun Yat-sen University" that the Lingnan University Museum (later renamed "Cultural Relics Museum") is the earliest formal museum established in Guangdong Province and the earliest museum established in the country. one. The "Chinese Museums at a Glance" published in 1936 divided the Lingnan University Cultural Relics Collection into three categories: Human Objects (traditional objects, handicrafts), Antiquities and Fine Arts Department, and Natural Museum Department; in 1952, the "Lingnan University Cultural Relics Collection" handwritten by Director Xian Yuqing The "Book" is divided into five categories: the Antiquities Department (including bricks and stoneware, copper and ironware, ceramics, ancient music and miscellaneous utensils, calligraphy, painting, inscriptions, rubbings and photos) and the Ethnic Department (brotherly ethnic artifacts and customs of various countries). There are also several pieces of furniture Listed separately, there are more than 800 items in the collection.

"In 1927, Chung Rongguang invited Xian Yuqing to serve as the director of the Lingnan University Museum. Mr. Xian took charge of the museum from then on until the merger of departments in 1952, a total of 25 years. Among them, the museum moved to Shiyoutang in 1931, so For 24 years from 1906 to 1930, the museum was located in Martin Hall. Throughout the history of the construction of the Lingnan University Museum, Mr. Xian played the most important role. "Professor Xian Yuqing in Yao Mingji's words was the first female polymath in Lingnan and Guangdong in modern times. A famous female scholar and poet, she is a poet, painter, literary and historical researcher, epigrapher, epigrapher, and collector. She is known as the "talented woman of Lingnan" who "has no equal in Lingnan women for thousands of years."

"Among the many collections in the Lingnan University Museum, in my opinion, the stone lions have the most stories." Yao Mingji also pointed to the stone lions at the main entrance of Martin Hall and told Nandu reporters that this was the stone lion that President Zhong Rongguang created from Guangzhou in the 1920s. A typical southern stone lion recovered from a demolished temple. "This is a female lion, with a little lion on its feet and a streamer in its mouth. It is lively and dexterous, with outstanding techniques such as round carving, relief carving, and line carving. What's even more exciting is that inside the gate of Martin Hall, there are exhibitions collected from It is a set of 13 stone lions and goddesses purchased by Mr. Kang Youwei, the protagonist who participated in the bus petition and promoted the Reform Movement of 1898 when he traveled to many European countries after the failure of the Reform Movement. The pair of stone lions inside the door have thick curly hair and delicate and lifelike carvings. The shape is close to reality.

Library and Meteorological Observation Station

In addition to the museum function, the library function of Martin Hall cannot be ignored. "Before the new library was completed in 1982, Martin Hall still served as a library, although it was moved to Grant Hall from 1915 to 1928." Wu Huanyu introduced that in July 1930, it became a famous library in my country. Zhou Liankuan, a bibliographer, bibliographer, archivist, historical geographer, and professor and co-founder of the Department of Information Management at Sun Yat-sen University, has applied to serve as the director of the Chinese Department of the Lingnan University Library. His office is in Martin Hall. In 1932, Mrs. Martin, who was enthusiastic about education, passed away. Among her inheritance donated to Lingnan University, US$1,000 was earmarked for donating to the library to purchase books. According to incomplete statistics, before the outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War in 1937, the total collection of books in the Lingnan University Library ranked fifth among university libraries nationwide, and the number of science and Western language magazines ranked first among all libraries in the country. In addition, the Lingnan University Library at that time also had its own special collection system. Firstly, there are many ancient rare books and manuscripts in the Chinese Department, including many rare and unique copies; secondly, it focuses on the collection of Guangdong local chronicles and Guangdong documents; thirdly, it focuses on the collection of Western-language publications related to "research on Chinese issues" ; Finally, in the late 1940s, Lingnan University, which held an "absolutely free" attitude towards communist thought and speech, also reflected this in the construction of its book collection and established the "New Intellectual Research Laboratory".

Wu Huanyu also revealed a little-known past event. In 1918, Lingnan University established the "Filipino Weather Observatory" on campus, which was placed on the roof of Martin Hall. "In the early days of Martin Hall, there were six 3m-high ventilation chimneys protruding from the roof. An iron rod was erected on the right chimney in the middle. The upper part of the iron rod stretched out a horizontal arm and installed a three-cup anemometer. The top of the iron rod was a wind bag. .A heliograph is also installed on the roof.The wind direction is manually observed in 8 directions. The anemometer and heliograph are transferred to the physics laboratory in Martin Hall to obtain instrument data indoors. There is also a barometer installed in the physics laboratory, which can directly read the air pressure value. A lightning rod was erected on each of the two outermost chimneys on the roof of Martin Hall. The height is higher than the wind pole, which not only protects the building but also protects the meteorological observation equipment on the roof. "In 1965, due to problems with the floor splicing of Martin Hall, rain often leaked, so the roof and window railings were demolished and rebuilt. At the same time, the six chimneys on the roof were also demolished, and the wind measuring equipment naturally disappeared, leaving only two on the roof. Lightning rod.

Department of Anthropology of Sun Yat-sen University resumed

In April 1981, with the efforts of the famous anthropologist Professor Liang Zhaotao, Sun Yat-sen University reestablished the Department of Anthropology and became the first Department of Anthropology to be reestablished in New China. In the same year, the Department of Anthropology was awarded the first batch of doctoral programs in the country. It is the only anthropology school in China with undergraduate, master's and doctoral levels, and has attracted the attention of academic circles at home and abroad. In 1982, the new library was officially completed. It was located on the top of the horse hill adjacent to Martin Hall. After the books were moved out, Martin Hall became the department building of the Department of Anthropology and is still in use today. The famous Anthropology plaque is also hung on the south lintel of Martin Hall. The plaque "Department of Anthropology of Sun Yat-sen University" inscribed by Fei Xiaotong in the 1980s

. "It is worth mentioning that the long historical spatial atmosphere of Martin Hall also gradually became a symbolic resource for teachers and students of the Department of Anthropology to build professional pride and develop emotional connections during this period. "Wu Huanyu, who has been engaged in research at the postdoctoral mobile station of the Department of Anthropology at Sun Yat-sen University, introduced that in March 1987, the first publication of the Department of Anthropology was published, which was named "Martin Hall". In March 2007, teachers from the Department of Anthropology initiated Established the "Martin Hall Scholarship", Encourage students' academic interests. During this period, a club with students from the Department of Anthropology as the main body - the "Martin Hall Club" came into being. The club has long held various activities such as reading clubs, field camps, and "Martin Nights." Learning activities have a profound impact on students' bodies and minds.A member of the club composed a "Martin Hall Theme Song" for this reason, with the words: "Hello, welcome to the hall, what is there to see here, the rescue of the university, the preservation of values ​​and homeland... Carrying Martin's Light, the madness chasing the top of the tower...restore the original look up..."

Chief planner: Rong Mingchang Liu Jiangtao

Planner: Wang Weiguo Li Yang

Coordinator: Song Shuang Zhou Peiwen

Writer of this issue: Nandu reporter Zhou Peiwen intern Ye Jiayi

Title: Chen Yongzheng