The Memorial Hall of Zhang Chongren was built at Puxi Square in his hometown of Qibao, Shanghai in 2003, to commemorate and immortalize a great Chinese artist and patriot. Zhang Chongren earned his reputation by sculpting busts of renowned personalities, including the French President Francois Mitterrand while he was in office, past Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping and acclaimed author Mao Dun. For westerners, interest in this artist is piqued for his close association to Herge, the author responsible for the ‘Adventures of Tintin’. They got acquainted when Zhang was studying art in Brussels and became fast friends.
As a result of the friendship, Herge gained more depth and perspective of the Chinese culture and its history which was reflected in his stories going on from ‘The Blue Lotus’. Previously his works had made use of stereotypes as a vehicle for humor. Herge also gained appreciation for the true face of colonialism and his changed views were reflected in his subsequent works which gained much critique at the time. He acknowledged his fellow artist and friend Zhang by first offering him authorship credit; which was declined, and then adding a character ‘Chang Chon-Chen’ who was also an orphan (like Zhang was) who then goes on to became friends with Tintin and make recurring appearances in the stories.
Coming back to China, Zhang setup the Chongren studio to fine tune his skill and at the same time pass it on to the next generation of artists. But the time of the Cultural Revolution was not kind to him and saw many of his works destroyed. Later his reputation was restored when he was given charge in Shanghai of the Fine Arts Academy and in fact, it flourished among the art circle in the country.
Entrance to the Memorial Hall is free; timings are from 08:30 to 16:30. Most tourists visit the venue as part of the experience of strolling through the scenic water town of Qibao. The town is close to the Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport and some visitors include this trip before they depart the city. Access is through metro line 9 stopping at Qibao station and visitors will exit from gate 2 to reach the ancient town housing the memorial museum. It is best to avoid weekends and national holidays to enjoy a relaxed experience without overbearing crowds.
Built in styles reminiscent of the era of Ming and Qing, the Hall fits right in with the old school feel of the ancient Qibao. The interior is a classy but simple affair and is divided up into six exhibition halls, depicting life of the artist in chronological order starting from An Early Beginning in the World of Art, followed by An Oriental Talent, Atelier Career and Immortal Statues, going on to Celebrated Twilight Years and ending with Everlasting Art & Legacy room. The displays include 20 busts made by Zhang and original and replica artwork credited to him along with hundreds of pictures of his life and accomplishments at various times.