Literature >Figures
Fu Sinian
Fu Sinian (1896— 1950), was a famous historian, classical literature researcher and educator. He was one of the student leaders of the May Fourth Movement and the acting president of Peking University. He wrote more than 80 monographs and was famous for History of Northeast China, etc.
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The stars of Chinese academia

Anyone interested in the lives of two academic luminaries of the last century will find it difficult to go past this book. Chen Yinque and Fu Sinian tracks the two eminent intellectuals' trajectory through their college days until the end of their lives. A turbulent but glorious period in Chinese history, when several Chinese scholars shone most brightly, serves as the backdrop. Chen Yinque (1890-1969), born into an aristocratic family, was well-known as one of the "Four Tutors" when he was a professor at the Institute of Chinese Classics of Tsinghua School, a forerunner to the present university in Beijing. The other three were Liang Qichao (1873-1929), Wang Guowei (1877-1927) and Zhao Yuanren (1892-1982). Chen, considered one of the most original and creative historians of 20th century China, earned the title "professor beyond professor". Fu Sinian (1896-1950) also attained lofty heights in the fields of history and Chinese classic literature. The pity is that after the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression (1937-45) broke out, Fu and Chen were driven into homelessness and lives of dislocation, which ensured they would barely see each other in this period. Between the lines you can clearly sense the deep appreciation they felt for one another, feelings that underpinned a friendship that would last for the rest of their lives. In his quest to respect historical truth and bring this story to the world, Yue Nan, the book's author, toiled for years to interview the two intellectuals' surviving family members, students and close friends. He visited places along their war-time evacuation routes - in Changsha in Hunan province, Kunming in Yunnan, and Chongqing municipality - in the hope of finding first-person accounts. Documentary materials Yue discovered and pored over at Academia Sinica in Taiwan also helped him find out a lot more about the Kuomingtang. All of these added up to make a hefty tome of 480,000 words. Chen died during the "cultural revolution" (1966-76), blind and still enduring the pains of imprisonment. Fu died in Taiwan, thousands of kilometers away from his hometown in Shandong province. The then president of National Taiwan University was buried on the campus. Zhu Dake, a scholar and cultural critic, says the book is not a regular biography. "The recollections of Chen and Fu have opened up a long-closed door on that period. We can look at the zeniths and the nadirs of their lives as the epitome of the dreaded fate of the scholars of the time." On the cover of the book is the inscription "There shall be no more great academicians", a striking line, and a slightly sweeping one at that. Yue, however, feels it has the ring of truth. Shandong Business Daily quoted Yue as saying: "who could be called a great academician? Chen reckoned it needs to be someone worthy of his or her predecessors' legacy and one who can show the way for later generations. A scholar ought to serve as a link between the past and the future." Cultural tradition and an environment for cultivating great academic masters have long since disappeared, he says. Peking University once organized a class named after its former president Cai Yuanpei (1868-1940), hoping to produce a future master, he says. Each year, a batch of the most outstanding high school graduates was selected and joined the class. "The program was short-lived. These days people want to succeed in almost no time at all, but how can you possibly produce and nurture a master in just four years?" Anyone wanting to find out more about the time in which academic luminaries such as Chen and Fu thrived might consider reading Yue's other work, Nandu Beigui. At 1.7 million words, this is an expansion of Chen Yinque and Fu Sinian.

The stars of Chinese academia

Anyone interested in the lives of two academic luminaries of the last century will find it difficult to go past this book. Chen Yinque and Fu Sinian tracks the two eminent intellectuals' trajectory through their college days until the end of their lives. A turbulent but glorious period in Chinese history, when several Chinese scholars shone most brightly, serves as the backdrop. Chen Yinque (1890-1969), born into an aristocratic family, was well-known as one of the "Four Tutors" when he was a professor at the Institute of Chinese Classics of Tsinghua School, a forerunner to the present university in Beijing. The other three were Liang Qichao (1873-1929), Wang Guowei (1877-1927) and Zhao Yuanren (1892-1982). Chen, considered one of the most original and creative historians of 20th century China, earned the title "professor beyond professor". Fu Sinian (1896-1950) also attained lofty heights in the fields of history and Chinese classic literature. The pity is that after the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression (1937-45) broke out, Fu and Chen were driven into homelessness and lives of dislocation, which ensured they would barely see each other in this period. Between the lines you can clearly sense the deep appreciation they felt for one another, feelings that underpinned a friendship that would last for the rest of their lives. In his quest to respect historical truth and bring this story to the world, Yue Nan, the book's author, toiled for years to interview the two intellectuals' surviving family members, students and close friends. He visited places along their war-time evacuation routes - in Changsha in Hunan province, Kunming in Yunnan, and Chongqing municipality - in the hope of finding first-person accounts. Documentary materials Yue discovered and pored over at Academia Sinica in Taiwan also helped him find out a lot more about the Kuomingtang. All of these added up to make a hefty tome of 480,000 words. Chen died during the "cultural revolution" (1966-76), blind and still enduring the pains of imprisonment. Fu died in Taiwan, thousands of kilometers away from his hometown in Shandong province. The then president of National Taiwan University was buried on the campus. Zhu Dake, a scholar and cultural critic, says the book is not a regular biography. "The recollections of Chen and Fu have opened up a long-closed door on that period. We can look at the zeniths and the nadirs of their lives as the epitome of the dreaded fate of the scholars of the time." On the cover of the book is the inscription "There shall be no more great academicians", a striking line, and a slightly sweeping one at that. Yue, however, feels it has the ring of truth. Shandong Business Daily quoted Yue as saying: "who could be called a great academician? Chen reckoned it needs to be someone worthy of his or her predecessors' legacy and one who can show the way for later generations. A scholar ought to serve as a link between the past and the future." Cultural tradition and an environment for cultivating great academic masters have long since disappeared, he says. Peking University once organized a class named after its former president Cai Yuanpei (1868-1940), hoping to produce a future master, he says. Each year, a batch of the most outstanding high school graduates was selected and joined the class. "The program was short-lived. These days people want to succeed in almost no time at all, but how can you possibly produce and nurture a master in just four years?" Anyone wanting to find out more about the time in which academic luminaries such as Chen and Fu thrived might consider reading Yue's other work, Nandu Beigui. At 1.7 million words, this is an expansion of Chen Yinque and Fu Sinian.

In this town, one dish is the epitome of swine dining

Sichuan cuisine has become very popular in recent years. But often it's hard to find the meat hidden among the red and green peppers. For gourmets, there is one dish that's an exception to this rule - Lizhuang White Meat. Lizhuang (the Li's Village) is located on the southern bank of the Yangtze River near Yibin, Sichuan province. During the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1937-45), some 12,000 refugees flooded into this village and turned Lizhuang into a thriving town. The sun was bright and warm when I arrived recently in Lizhuang. The first sound I heard was the scream of pigs. The tall white-washed walls with black-tiled roofs made it hard for me to find the source of the sound. A three-wheeled vehicle broke down at the crossroad and a stout driver jumped down to fix it. The passengers were three pigs. They were rather thin and looked at me with tearful eyes. The man said he was sending the pigs to the butcher. "They are very young," I observed. The man looked at me with a sideways glance: "If they grew fat, would you eat them?" "Pigs are smart, do they know they are going to die?" I asked. "They sure have a clear heart!" "Then they must feel very sad." The man broke into laughter: "They don't have time to feel sad! They will be reborn as humans and it's their turn to eat meat!" I soon learned that locals favor small pigs. The most famous "Lizhuang white meat" comes from pigs' bottoms and the dish dates back some three centuries. At the much-celebrated Liufen Restaurant, I knew what dish I had to order. The big plate soon arrived. The meat looked inviting with a tray of red pepper. The waiter wouldn't reveal the recipe, but pointed at the kitchen window. With a roof tile-sized knife, the head chef dressed in white, was handling a chunk of meat. As the knife flew, paper-thin slices piled. The seasoning didn't look like anything special. But the waiter said it was a fine mixture of pepper, garlic, sesame oil and sugar. I dipped one slice into the seasoning. It melted on my tongue. "Bravo!" I said, following the example set by other customers. The red-faced restaurateur stood up, folded his hands and bowed. "The dish does not need any promotion. What you are eating today is exactly the same as the dish served for Professor Liang Sicheng." Back in the 1930s, meat was a prized dish, even for famed professors like Liang, Fu Sinian and Luo Ergang who moved to Lizhuang with Tongji University. Wang Shixiang, a leading antique collector who once worked at the Palace Museum, was only a poor student in Lizhuang. He probably dreamed of the white meat every night. The only exception was Herrmann Adolf Weit, a Jewish professor, who often dropped in. Speaking no Chinese, he managed to reach a mutual understanding with the restaurateur. If he patted his bottom once, the waiter would serve 0.25 kg of white meat; twice, half a kilo. With the best meat, no words were necessary.

Knowledge Graph
Examples

1 In dealing with the origin of Chinese culture, Fu Sinian insists that the Chinese culture has multivariate origins, which is a break through of the one origin theory of Chinese culture.

2 In dealing with the origin of Chinese culture, Fu Sinian insists that the Chinese culture has multivariate origins, which is a break through of the one origin theory of Chinese culture.

3 Fu Sinian was a faithful patriot with strong national thoughts which were important in his academic thoughts.

4 In dealing with the origin of Chinese culture, Fu Sinian insists that the Chinese culture has multivariate origins, which is a break through of the one origin theory of Chinese culture.

5 Fu Sinian was a faithful patriot with strong national thoughts which were important in his academic thoughts.

6 In dealing with the origin of Chinese culture, Fu Sinian insists that the Chinese culture has multivariate origins, which is a break through of the one origin theory of Chinese culture.

7 Fu Sinian was a faithful patriot with strong national thoughts which were important in his academic thoughts.

8 In dealing with the origin of Chinese culture, Fu Sinian insists that the Chinese culture has multivariate origins, which is a break through of the one origin theory of Chinese culture.

9 Fu Sinian was a faithful patriot with strong national thoughts which were important in his academic thoughts.

10 Fu Sinian was a faithful patriot with strong national thoughts which were important in his academic thoughts.

11 Fu Sinian was a faithful patriot with strong national thoughts which were important in his academic thoughts.

12 Fu Sinian was a faithful patriot with strong national thoughts which were important in his academic thoughts.

13 Fu Sinian was a faithful patriot with strong national thoughts which were important in his academic thoughts.

14 Fu Sinian was a faithful patriot with strong national thoughts which were important in his academic thoughts.

15 Fu Sinian was a faithful patriot with strong national thoughts which were important in his academic thoughts.