Zhou Kexi Literature Museum in Songyang county, Lishui, Zhejiang province. [Photo/Tide News]

Zhou Kexi Literature Museum opened on March 30 in Chi'an village in Lishui's Songyang county. Housed in a renovated traditional dwelling, the museum blends traditional architectural charm with modern design, breathing new cultural life into the ancient village.

Zhou Kexi, a renowned translator and Songyang native, is celebrated for his Chinese renditions of French literary classics such as Marcel Proust's In Search of Lost Time, Alexandre Dumas' The Count of Monte Cristo, and Antoine de Saint-Exupery's The Little Prince.

Spanning two floors, the museum features 12 thematic sections that trace Zhou's journey from mathematics lecturer to literary translator. It also houses over 300 treasured items — yellowed manuscripts, various editions of his translations, old photographs, and newspapers — each a testament to his career of more than half a century.

Zhou said that the museum's exhibits, written in the first person, are meant to convey warmth and reflect the resilience of a Songyang native navigating the joys and challenges of literary translation.

His sister, Zhou Yongqiu, expressed her joy at returning to her vitalized hometown and her hope that the museum would draw more visitors to Chi'an village and Songyang county.

Shen Jialu, a director of the Shanghai Writers' Association, praised the creative use of the old house, calling it a tribute to traditional culture. Yuan Li, vice president of the Shanghai Translators Association, said that while the museum is a physical space, its cultural influence will endure.