Museum
Lu Xun Academy of Fine Arts
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Lu Xun Academy of Fine Arts (LAFA) is an art school in Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China. It was founded in 1938 in Yan'an as a training center for Chinese Communist Party artists and moved to Shenyang in 1945. Today it has two campuses: one in downtown Shenyang and another in Jinshitan, Dalian.
Don't miss
- Founded in 1938 in Yan'an by Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai as a training center for Communist artists
- Moved into the Qiao'ergou Catholic Church in 1939, becoming a cultural center
- Key role in the Yangge Movement (1942–1946), adapting traditional dance to socialist themes
- Artists created the opera The White-Haired Girl, first performed in April 1945 in Yan'an
- Two campuses today: one in downtown Shenyang and one in Jinshitan, Dalian
Tickets & tours
Ways to visit Lu Xun Academy of Fine Arts
You can visit Lu Xun Academy of Fine Arts on your own. A guide mainly adds context, what you are looking at and why it matters, and a tour can add transport or combine nearby sights into one day.
Cheapest way inBeijing Wangfujing Calligraphy Class by Forbidden City5★ · 70 travelers~1 hourFree cancellationFrom$20 per personSee dates →
Most booked2-Hour Chinese Calligraphy with an Artist in Shanghai, China5★ · 60 travelers~2 hoursFree cancellationFrom$59 per personSee dates →
Private & flexible2-Hour Private Chinese Ink and Brush Painting Workshop in Shanghai5★ · 15 travelers~2 hoursFrom$118 per personSee dates →A bit of history
The school was founded in April 1938 as the Lu Xun Academy of Arts (or Luyi) by CCP leaders including Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai, in Yan'an, Shaanxi Province. It moved into the Qiao'ergou Catholic Church on 2 August 1939, becoming a cultural center. During the Second Sino-Japanese War, it focused on building support for resistance against Japanese forces. The academy played a key role in the Yangge Movement (late 1942 to 1946), adapting traditional dance to socialist themes. Artists adapted folklore into the opera The White-Haired Girl, first performed in April 1945 in Yan'an. Between 1938 and 1945, the academy had over 50 faculty, hundreds of staff, and almost 700 graduates. After the CCP victory in 1949, graduates filled leadership roles in the arts. The school moved to Shenyang in 1945, spun off its music department in 1953 (which became Shenyang Conservatory of Music), and was renamed Lu Xun Academy of Fine Arts in 1958.
Common questions
When was Lu Xun Academy of Fine Arts founded?
It was founded in April 1938 in Yan'an as the Lu Xun Academy of Arts.
Who founded the academy?
It was founded by Chinese Communist Party leaders, including Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai.
What is the academy's connection to the opera The White-Haired Girl?
Artists of the academy adapted folklore into the opera, which was first performed in April 1945 in Yan'an.
Where are the campuses located?
The academy has two campuses: one in downtown Shenyang and one in Jinshitan, Dalian.
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