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Lu Xun and the Coffee Cafe

Published: 2026-05-17 Author: World Gafei

Last Updated: 2026/05/17, Although he did not enjoy the store's signature drink, the public coffee cafe is still famous for Lu Xun's many trips. Gongfen was located near the tram terminal on North Sichuan Road in Shanghai at that time, opposite the Neishan Bookstore. It must not have been the earliest coffee shop in Shanghai, nor was it the best coffee shop in Shanghai at that time. But because the Chinese left-wing Writers' Union became the era that later generations said.

Although he did not enjoy the signature drinks in the shop, the coffee shop was still famous for Lu Xun's frequent visits. The coffee shop was located near the tram terminal on North Sichuan Road in Shanghai at that time, opposite Neishan Bookstore. It must not be the earliest coffee shop in Shanghai, nor necessarily the best coffee shop in Shanghai at that time, but because of the Chinese Left Writers Union, it became "the most famous coffee shop in that era".

Mr. Lu Xun once wrote in the Revolutionary Cafe: "Imagine the towering foreign-style building, facing the broad street in front, the sparkling glass signboard at the door, the famous people in our literary and artistic circles today upstairs, either talking or pondering, and the front is a large cup of steaming proletarian coffee. It is really an ideal paradise." But Lu Xun himself does not drink coffee, he drinks green tea alone, so "in such a coffee shop, I have not been up."

But a year after the Revolution Cafe was written, Lu Xun still went to the coffee shop near his residence in Shanghai at that time, in order to attend the party preparing for the Left-wing League. He still doesn't drink coffee, just a cup of green tea, and every time he goes, he still just a cup of green tea. Wei Mengke, an old writer, recalled that in terms of "coffee or tea", Lu Xun did not touch a little western custom, others wanted coffee, but he wanted tea, and sometimes Xia Yan accompanied him to drink tea. Although he did not enjoy the signature drinks in the shop, the coffee shop was still famous for Lu Xun's frequent visits. The coffee shop was located near the tram terminal on North Sichuan Road in Shanghai at that time, opposite Neishan Bookstore. It must not be the earliest coffee shop in Shanghai, nor necessarily the best coffee shop in Shanghai at that time, but because of the Chinese Left Writers Union, it became "the most famous coffee shop in that era".

Yang Xianru recalled: "Comrade Yang Hansheng often took us to participate in the activities of left-wing writers in the 1930s, just in the coffee shop on North Sichuan Road. This is a coffee shop run by foreigners. It's safer because the police don't pay much attention to it." In 1934, Xiao Jun and Xiao Hong came to Shanghai from Northeast China with novel manuscripts. They first went to Neishan Bookstore to meet Lu Xun, and then Lu Xun took them to public coffee to chat. Coincidentally, Zhou Yang's wife also recalled that she had asked Zhou Yang to wait in the public coffee, first went to the Neishan Bookstore to find Lu Xun, and then three people together in the small private room on the second floor of the public coffee for a long talk. It can be seen that the literary youth at that time must go through the Neishan Bookstore_Public Coffee Cafe to meet Lu Xun.

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