Pathe Little Building|Memorial Hall of the Recording Site of "The March of the Volunteers"
“Pathe Little Building” is located in Xuhui District, Shanghai, China. It is a historic building that originally served as the office building of Pathe Records. Built in 1921, it features a brick and wood structure with Western-style architecture and dormer windows. This building is renowned for its unique historical and cultural value and is one of the important landmarks in the history of modern Chinese music.
Pathe Records was a famous record company established in China in the early 20th century. It recorded and released a large number of historically significant musical works, including the recording of batches of revolutionary songs such as "The March of the Volunteers," "Yellow River Cantata," and "The East is Red." Pathe also issued opera records featuring famous artists like Mei Lanfang and Zhou Xinfang, as well as local operas such as Shanghai opera and Yue opera. Under the trend of popular music, it launched seven female stars of the Shanghai Bund, with hits like Zhou Xuan’s "Night Shanghai" and Yao Li’s "Rose, Rose, I Love You," which became wildly popular in Shanghai.
It can be said that Pathe Little Building witnessed the prosperity and development of China’s music industry during that era.
Pathe Little Building has three floors, is open to the public, free of charge, and offers volunteer-guided tours.
✅ First Floor Lobby: "Tribute" Special Exhibition.
▶️ The journey of "The March of the Volunteers" from its creation, release, popularization to becoming the national anthem. Through volunteer explanations, it is hard to imagine the hardships it endured from a battle song to a national anthem, and it makes one grateful to be born under the national flag and grow up in the spring breeze.
Especially notable is the recording process of the first record of "The March of the Volunteers" and the handwritten chip information, which are very precious records and a valuable piece of history.
Songs from the passionate years like "Singing the Motherland," "My Motherland," and songs from the reform and opening-up period such as "The Story of Spring," "Song of the Seven Sons," and "On the Hopeful Fields" are also featured.
Today, following the rhythm of the volunteer’s narration, visitors can hum a few lines on site.
During the visit on the first floor, the window restores the look of that era, showing the outside scenery as it was.
The first floor also features sections like Radio Wings, Shanghai Morning Melody, Silver Screen Songs, and Calligraphy and String Music, which will surely evoke your memories of old movies and classic tunes.
✅ Second Floor: Audio-Visual Room to watch the entire creation process of "The March of the Volunteers." The manuscripts of Nie Er and the master record of "The March of the Volunteers" are very precious. The second floor also displays the cradle of records, architectural drawings of Pathe Little Building, and introductions to key creators such as Xian Xinghai, Nie Er, Ren Guang, and Tian Han.
✅ Third Floor: He Luting Special Exhibition. "The Shepherd’s Flute" and "Lullaby" won international awards. The manuscript score of "Guerrilla Song" is a replica; the original manuscript is at the site of the First National Congress of the Communist Party of China.
The third floor also exhibits the seven female stars launched by Pathe, representative works of pop music masters, and records of opera masters.
*️⃣ Pathe Little Building is indeed the source of music.
From the national anthem to revolutionary songs in film and television, from popular music to opera art, it is a continuous story of music and a process of purifying the soul.
Music inspires people’s fighting spirit and has the magic to help find oneself and realize one’s value.
A song, a city. Suddenly, it becomes clear the cultural power music brings to the city and its people throughout history.
Tips:
Subway: Take Line 1, 9, or 11 to Xujiahui Station, then walk to the site.
Bus: Multiple bus routes pass through Xujiahui, making it convenient to reach.
Shopping Area: Xujiahui is a famous shopping district in Shanghai, including Grand Gateway Plaza, Huijin Department Store, Metro City, and Oriental Shopping Center.
Attractions: Shanghai Film Museum, Ba Jin’s Former Residence, Cao Ying’s Study, and more.