Du Weishan is the youngest son of Du Yuesheng, the boss of Shanghai, and in 1991, Du Weishan finally got the opportunity to return to Shanghai.
During the visit to the Shanghai Museum, Du Weishan said amazingly: "Another day I will send some ancient coins to the museum!" ”
Since the beginning of this year, Du Weishan has donated more than 4,000 ancient coins, and his generous actions have promoted the understanding of modern scholars on ancient coins and even ancient times, which has greatly promoted the development of the industry.
Why did Du Weishan do this?
Du Weishan
First, Du Yuesheng's history of his family is the history of an ordinary person's counterattack
From the primary school apprentice of the fruit line to the famous boss of Shanghai Beach, Du Yuesheng's family history is actually the history of an ordinary person's counterattack. In addition to his brilliant career, Du Yuesheng and several wives' past affairs have also been talked about by many people. Du Yuesheng married five wives successively, and his fourth wife, Yao Yulan, bore him seven sons, Du Weishan.
Yao Yulan is a generation of celebrities, and Yao Yulan, who married into the Du family and flew up the branches to become a phoenix, made many people envious. However, before long, the domestic environment was no longer suitable for Du Yuesheng's development, so Du Yuesheng took Yao Yulan and Du Weishan and other wives and children to Hong Kong for refuge.
After fleeing to Hong Kong, Du Yuesheng's health deteriorated. After 1951, Du Yuesheng often appeared in a sudden coma, and he knew that he did not have much time left, so he found a secretary Hu Xuwu while he was still awake.
Du Yuesheng has been traversing the rivers and lakes for many years, making many friends and making many enemies. Historical problems made Du Yuesheng dare not return to the mainland, and his distrust of Chiang Kai-shek also made him give up going to Taiwan.
If he dies, he will be at ease. But what should his wife and children do?
Du Yuesheng
In August 1951, Du Yuesheng orally distributed his inheritance in front of Hu Xuwu. He asked his daughter to take out of the safe all the IOUs that had been written to him for so many years, and not to underestimate the seemingly worthless paper, but in fact, the sum of these IOUs was hundreds of millions of dollars.
The fire engulfed these IOUs, and Du Yuesheng told his children not to chase debts. After doing these things, Du Yuesheng took out another $100,000. Each wife takes ten thousand, each son takes ten thousand, the unmarried daughter can take six thousand, and the married one receives four thousand.
No one knows whether Du Yuesheng still had regrets before his death, but on August 16, 1951, Du Yuesheng died. Who would have thought that Du Yuesheng, who once dominated Shanghai, could not afford to buy a cemetery after his death? However, this is the case, Yao Yulan was persuaded by the high land prices in Hong Kong, so she could only bury Du Yuesheng's body in Taiwan.
Du Yuesheng suffered from not reading, so he was particularly important to study. When he was alive, he often warned his children that when he was a child, he did not have the opportunity to study because of poverty, and hoped that his children under his knees would cherish the opportunity to read.
As soon as there is an opportunity, Du Yuesheng will ask about the academic performance of his children, if he performs well, he will get 50 yuan of encouragement, once Du Yuesheng's son Du Weifan escaped before the exam, Du Yuesheng knew it, and slapped Du Weifan twice.
Under the guidance of his father, Du Weishan knew the importance of learning. In Taiwan, Du Weishan completed the secondary school part of his studies and then went to Australia for further studies in geology.
Life abroad is very hard, the first two years Du Weishan focused on studying, so there is no plan to go out to work. By the third year, Du Weishan's family situation was deteriorating, and he had to study and work at the same time.
In order to make money, Du Weishan worked as a miner in a silver mine, and occasionally took on some part-time job of drawing drawings, and later most of Du Weishan's living expenses were obtained from this.
2. Scholar Du Weishan: Returning to China to visit relatives and donate ancient coins
The life of part-time work and half-study in Australia greatly exercised Du Weishan's mind. After completing his studies, Du Weishan returned to Taiwan, left a work figure in the oil company and the mining research institute, and started from the grassroots level, Du Weishan used his excellent strength to upgrade step by step to the level of "vice minister".
"Where there are people, there are rivers and lakes", the richer the resume, the more intrigues and struggles faced in the work, because he could not stand this bad atmosphere, Du Weishan finally resigned and transformed into a businessman.
This is not the first time that Du Weishan has ventured into business. As early as during his studies in Australia, Du Weishan found that the quality of Australian beef was very good, the price was also low, relying on low prices to buy beef in Australia and transport it to Taiwan to sell, Du Weishan also made a small profit.
In 1978, Du Weishan took advantage of the east wind of reform and became an impressive businessman at that time. Du Weishan is good at business, although there was a period of not rich days, but later life is no longer tight, he also developed a new hobby, collecting ancient coins is one of his most dedicated hobbies.
In the mid-1960s, Du Weishan began his own research on ancient coins, in order to better study ancient coins, Du Weishan also often communicated with famous collectors in Taiwan at that time, through in-depth study of ancient coins, Du Weishan gradually became famous in the field of ancient coins.
In 1991, New China was full of vitality because of reform and opening up. Du Weishan had been away from his hometown for a long time, and with the thought of his hometown, he took his wife Tan Duanyan and boarded a plane to Shanghai.
After so many years, Shanghai has undergone earth-shaking changes. After visiting various relatives, Du Weishan had the idea of going to the museum for a walk.
Du Weishan visited the Shanghai Museum and received a warm reception from the curator at the time. Because of his research on ancient coins, Du Weishan decided to focus on the ancient coin museum.
When he first entered the ancient coin museum, Du Weishan saw an ancient coin that was cherished and placed in the exhibition cabinet. The curator saw that Du Weishan was currently locking this ancient coin, and he felt proud for a while.
The curator proudly said that this ancient coin is worthy of the treasure of the Shanghai Museum, which is a coin belonging to the ancient Persian Sassanid Dynasty, and its value is immeasurable, so this coin is a national first-class protected cultural relic.
Coins of the Sassanid Dynasty of Ancient Persia
The curator's words were full of showing off, but Du Weishan was not as shocked as the curator expected. Du Weishan's next words really made the curator close his mouth in surprise.
Du Weishan said to the curator, "It is not a secret, I have a lot of such coins in my family, if the museum needs it, I am willing to donate some." ”
Du Weishan is a famous collector of ancient coins, it is not difficult to guess that there are some ancient coins in his hand, but is Du Weishan, who studies ancient coins as a hobby, really willing to take out these valuable ancient coins? After a period of time, Du Weishan told everyone with his own practical actions.
Since 1991, Du Weishan has donated ancient coins to the Shanghai Museum more than once, and it can be learned from Du Weishan's student Dong Cunfa that Du Weishan donated a total of more than 4,000 ancient coins, totaling more than 2,000 kinds. The value of these coins is as high as 1.8 billion yuan in market value.
Du Weishan (first from the right)
This kind act of Du Weishan promoted the development of the study of ancient cultural relics in the mainland, allowing the mainland to go further in the study of ancient coins, and later Du Weishan personally trained students and cultivated a large number of professionals for the Shanghai Museum. The authoritative position of the Shanghai Museum's Silk Road Ancient Coin Collection was also established.
Because of the gratitude for Du Weishan's efforts, the Shanghai Museum specially set up a "Du Weishan Tan Duanyan Old Silk Road Ancient Coin Room" for Du Weishan and his wife Tan Duanyan.
Ancient coin room
Third, Du Weishan and his haunted courtyard
Before Du Yuesheng died, he distributed the only inheritance around him. Many people wonder, is Du Yuesheng, who has been rampant, only this little money? In fact, Du Yuesheng owned a lot of real estate in Shanghai and Beijing, and at that time, he was in a hurry, and these real estate properties were too late to sell, so they could only leave them alone.
After the founding of New China, the domestic environment has undergone tremendous changes. Du Yuesheng's real estate is theorized to be confiscated first, and then distributed by the relevant departments to the displaced poor people.
These high-value real estate properties did not belong to Du Yuesheng for a long time, but at that time, in order to save face, Du Yuesheng still distributed this courtyard in Beijing to his son Du Weishan and his sister.
This courtyard was once the residence of Du Yuesheng's fourth wife, Meng Xiaodong, who traveled to many places and eventually settled down in Taiwan.
The courtyard in Beijing, although often referred to as "Meng Xiaodong's former residence", actually has little to do with her.
After returning to China, Du Weishan thought about the final distribution of this quadrangle in his father's will, and it was not surprising that the quadrangle of this set of quadrangles should have half of mine!
With this thought, Du Weishan knocked on the door of the courtyard.
After the changes, this courtyard is no longer the residence of Meng Xiaodong alone, but instead, it is a terrible twenty-odd households and dozens of people!
Du Weishan said that the house was his own, but unfortunately no one believed it. In order to solve the problem of this house, Du Weishan also deliberately sought out the government, hoping that the government could help him solve this problem.
The government was also embarrassed, and finally said that this matter needed Du Weishan to consult with the residents, and it was inconvenient for them to intervene.
Du Weishan communicated with these residents many times, most of them in vain. Later, the residents finally relaxed, but it was the "lion's big mouth", and the residents unanimously said that it was okay for us to move away, but we must give us millions per household, otherwise we would not talk!
Du Weishan has been in business for many years, and although he has achieved good results, it is still difficult for him to bear this compensation payment, which may be as high as hundreds of millions of dollars.
The residents of the courtyard bit this number and did not let go, there was no way, Du Weishan had to return in frustration. At this time, he realized that this courtyard no longer belonged to the Du family.
Beijing's hutongs and courtyards are landmarks to a certain extent, mentioning hutongs and courtyards, people subconsciously think of the old residential areas of Beijing, in this narrow hutong, there have been many stories, but with the passage of time, the final fall, only infinite sighs.
Beijing's four-in-one deans are much the same, so why do they attract countless people to walk through the alleys? More of them are because of the celebrity effect.
Taking this courtyard as an example, "Meng Xiaodong's Former Residence" is the biggest gimmick of this courtyard.
Meng Xiaodong's former residence
Meng Xiaodong is a famous Peking Opera actor in the Republic of China period, Peking Opera actors are divided into ShengDan Jing End Ugly, Meng Xiaodong is good at, is "raw horns".
If it is only the business ability is excellent, Meng Xiaodong's fame may not be as big as it is now. Meng Xiaodong's love affair has added a strong stroke to this woman's life.
Meng Xiaodong's relationship when he was young, the object of which everyone is familiar, is the famous Peking Opera actor Mei Lanfang.
Mei Lanfang
Meng Xiaodong and Mei Lanfang have cooperated in many classic plays, and the two have cooperated many times in their work, and later became a pair of eye-catching lovers, and their love affair was also talked about.
Unfortunately, the two broke up later, and Meng Xiaodong also became the wife of Du Yuesheng, the boss of Shanghai.
Mei Lanfang and Du Yuesheng, the appearance of these two men, let Meng Xiaodong wrap up a layer of mysterious color. What kind of woman can continuously surrender Mei and Du? Countless people are curious about Meng Xiaodong's life, so her former residence has made countless people linger.
Meng Xiaodong
If the circle in which Meng Xiaodong is located is regarded as an entertainment circle, then Meng Xiaodong must be a first-line star. Stars are naturally indispensable to fanatical followers, in modern times, there are also people who love Meng Xiaodong to the point of madness, and are even willing to spend a lot of money to buy Meng Xiaodong's former residence.
The fan refused to reveal her real name, so people preferred to call her "Hua Yinghong".
In 2005, Hua Yinghong spent a huge amount of money to buy the former residence of "Meng Xiaodong", and also spent a lot of money to renovate this somewhat failed courtyard, in order to commemorate Meng Xiaodong, Hua Yinghong also opened the "Meng Xiaodong Private House Exhibition" here, which can also be regarded as satisfying the wishes of the majority of curious people.
4. Epilogue
Du Yuesheng is a character difficult to judge, he fishes and meat people, but in the chaotic world, he does not deny that he is a Chinese, he came from a poor background, so he deeply engraved the ideas of "patriotism" and "good study" in the hearts of his children.
Du Weishan inherited his father's legacy and made many contributions to the country. He is highly accomplished in business and has also made great contributions to promoting the cause of ancient coins on the mainland.
On March 7, 2020, Du Weishan passed away in Vancouver, and the past came to an end, but his brilliant past was still left in the hearts of future generations in the form of words or videos.