Guo Moruo (1892-1978), a Communist writer and poet with close links to the Communist authorities, became director of the Academy of Sciences in 1949, and in the two decades that followed was appointed to numerous prestigious posts, often in exchange for his propaganda writing in support of the authorities. A visit to his residence, which in reality is an annexe of the palace of Prince Gong and has been preserved in its original condition, offers an opportunity to view the surroundings in which this party "dignitary" lived and worked. The small interior garden is a haven of peace and quiet.