If there were no Tsinghua University, Peking University and Fudan University, it would undoubtedly be like the eternal night. If Tsinghua University and Peking University Fudan University were not guided by the lighthouse, they would have been lost today.
In the magnificent culture of the Republic of China, in the long night of war, they crossed the river and the sea, crossed the south and returned to the north, illuminating the mountains and rivers with light and heat.
They built the most magnificent hall in China, continued China's most precious cultural context, and also educated China's most outstanding masters.
To this day, their shouts are getting weaker, but there are still sounds. In the lingering vaguely, Fan Zhongyan's sigh a thousand years ago: "The clouds and mountains are vast, the rivers are vast, the wind of sir, the mountains are high and the water is long."
Who are they? Where is sir?
Fire thief Ma Xiangbo
1840, the British opened the national door of China. This year, a boy was born in Danyang, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu. Catholic parents baptized Catholicly for their infants, and this little believer was Ma Xiangbo.
Ma Xiangbo has been very smart since he was a child. At the age of 11, he was no longer satisfied with studying in a private school and decided to study in Shanghai, which had just been opened.
200 kilometers, Ma Xiangbo hiked for 11 days and arrived in Shanghai.
When he left, a great man who was well-versed in Chinese and Western learning, he entered history.
After arriving in Shanghai, Ma Xiangbo entered the Xuhui Public School of the French Jesuits (now Shanghai Xuhui Middle School ). More than ten years later, he mastered seven foreign languages including English, Latin, French, Greek, and Japanese, and studied Chinese studies, Western philosophy theology and law, as well as mathematics, astronomy and other disciplines.
Ma Xiangbo is the first person in Chinese history to master so many foreign languages.
30 years old, he received the title of Ph.D. in theology and immediately became the president of Xuhuigong, teaching classics, history, and collections.
However, God cannot save the suffering China.
1876, a huge famine hit northern China, known in history as the "Dingwu strange desolation". At that time, the British diplomatic report recorded: "In some counties that suffered the most severe disasters, the people predated each other like wild animals; among hundreds or even thousands of villages, 70% of the residents had died."
The disaster area became a hell on earth, and people even changed their children to eat.
Ma Xiangbo raised 2,000 taels of silver to help the victims, but was imprisoned by the church and "surrendered". He was angry and left the Jesus Church and returned to secular life. He wanted to find another way for China's prosperity and strength.
Just like when he walked out of his house and went to Shanghai at the age of 11, this time, the political and diplomatic stage he was going to take is a bigger but also more dangerous stage.
His younger brother Ma Jianzhong was the right-hand man of the important minister Li Hongzhang . He was a famous diplomat at that time. Today's Korean flag was designed based on his opinions.
After introducing his younger brother, Ma Xiangbotu was under Li Hongzhang's disciple. Li Hongzhang appreciated Ma Xiangbo's talent in science and language very much. The two of them were both teachers and friends, and they participated in the great cause of Westernization.
In the afterglow of the empire, Ma Xiangbo's hardworking figure seems ridiculous and sad.
Ma Xiangbo followed Li Hongzhang to various countries to translate documents and prepare for loans, and worked hard. But the building is about to collapse, even if it is a talented person like Li Hongzhang and Ma Xiangbo, it cannot be defeated.
Ma Xiangbo's best years have contributed all to the Westernization Movement, a doomed failure.
After the defeat in the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895, Li Hongzhang was forced to sign the " Treaty of Shimonoseki " on behalf of the court. As Li Hongzhang's aide and diplomatic envoy, Ma Xiangbo, who was sitting at the negotiating table, also suffered countless infamous reputations. However, no one noticed that the Treaty of Shimonoseki ultimately "reduced the compensation to 200 million taels, reduced the trading port to 4, and appropriately narrowed the scope of cede to the Liaodong Peninsula."
Who is more important to personal reputation or national interests? Countless people will choose the former, but Ma Xiangbo, who opens his eyes to the world, would rather slander his reputation than make the country lose less. People like
are rare in Chinese history and are not popular. Those who talk big about cherishing their feathers, the so-called famous people, will receive cheers and flowers. Those who do not have personal face but only seek the country are often cursed by thousands of people. No wonder Lu Xun said: "China has always had few heroes who failed, few resilient resistance, few warriors who dared to fight alone, and few slingers who dared to cry out to traitors. When they saw victory signs, they gathered one after another, and when they saw defeat signs, they fled one after another." People like
can't even understand their own mothers. Ma Xiangbo's mother even said, "I have never given birth to a son like Ma Xiangbo." Until his death, his mother did not forgive him.
bears the national infamy, and his relatives will not forgive him until their death. He was wasted most of his life, and his heart was ashamed.
Ma Xiangbo took out the land deed and donated all the 3,000 acres of land inherited from his elder brother, including Songjiang , Qingpu , etc. to the church.
I thought it was the winter of life, but I thought it was another spring.
In the autumn of 1901, Cai Yuanpei, another indispensable figure in the history of Chinese education, came to Shanghai.
This year, Cai Yuanpei was 33 years old. This head teacher of Shanghai Nanyang Public School came to learn Latin with Ma Xiangbo. Ma Xiangbo told him that Latin has become an antique in the West, and schools do not pay much attention to it except universities, and Chinese scholars do not need to learn it.
Cai Yuanpei believes that Latin is the foundation of languages in various European countries. If you don’t understand Latin, you will have no way to understand the West.
Helpless, Ma Xiangbo had no choice but to say, you are already middle-aged and it is useless to learn by yourself, so it is best to find some young people.
Cai Yuanpei so he found 24 people to study. They came to the Ma family to study not only Latin, but also mathematics and French.
24 After the individual has completed his studies, many aspiring people from all over the world, including Hanlin and Xiaoliangong, came to study thousands of miles away. With more and more students, Ma Xiangbo simply decided to open a school to allow Chinese children to study.
On March 1, 1903, the first private university in China, the Zhendan university college was established. The school address is located in Xuhui District No. 2 Central Primary School today. The name "Zhendan" comes from the Sanskrit word "China", which means "the sunrise in the east and the future is promising."
He set three principles for Zhendan: Advocate science, pay attention to literature and art, and do not talk about doctrine. Students who apply for the exam can be admitted as long as they are good at one subject; students who are knowledgeable but have no money to pay tuition fees can enter the school for a trial study, and pass the scores and are exempt from tuition fees.
He believes that education should be independent, and hopes that academic independence and ideological independence will be independent from . This concept was later written into the Fudan school song.
Ma Xiangbo also reconstructed the tradition of "teaching but not being distinguished" since Confucius . As long as he is talented and willing to learn, he will be admitted to his disciples.
Yu Youren is a typical example. In 1904, 25-year-old Yu Youren was forced to flee to Shanghai because of writing a poem to satirize Cixi for treasoning the country. Ma Xiangbo cherished his talent and took him to his subordinates, exempting tuition and miscellaneous fees. Later, he was asked to be a teacher in the school. Yu Youren was grateful to his mentor for his whole life and once said: Those who gave birth to me and those who gave birth to me are the husband.
Liang Qichao Hearing that Ma Xiangbo came out of the mountain to run a school, he excitedly sent a congratulatory message: " Now I have seen my motherland have a complete and organized private school. I want to be ecstatic. "
Ma Xiangbo not only teaches Latin, but also teaches French and mathematics. His teaching methods are completely different from the education they received in school. Mathematics not only teaches them the techniques of calculations, but also teaches them the principles.
English, he started with the pinyin letters, so that students can gradually spell foreign languages independently. At that time, the textbooks used by foreigners to teach English were all used by the British and Indians, which were shallow and vulgar and meaningless. Ma Xiangbo chose extremely valuable British literary works to teach students and improve their English level. Every Sunday from 9:00 to 12:00 a.m., all students in the school hold a lecture. Ma Xiangbo designated the topic, and one person first gave a speech on the stage, and then took turns to recommend students to criticize them. Everyone can express their opinions.
Regarding the recruitment of students, Ma Xiangbo advocates that young and older, even those in their thirties and forties, as long as they come to study sincerely and have the same level, they will be recruited equally. He believes that the situation in in China is different from that in Europe and the United States. Although Chinese youth do need education, Chinese adults need education, because once they learn it, they can use it in society immediately.
Good times won't last long.Shendan Academy two years after its establishment, Ma Xiangbo and the investor Jesus fell in love. The Jesus only wanted to educate the missionaries, but Ma Xiangbo insisted on "not talking about doctrine."
contradictions are finally irreconcilable. In the end, the Jesus not only disbanded the college, but also put the 65-year-old Ma Xiangbo in the hospital and put him under house arrest in disguise.
Under the leadership of Ma Xiangbo's favorite disciple Yu Youren, the students swear to stand with Principal Ma, "You can be without a Jindan, you must be without a principal."
In order to let the students have a book, Ma Xiangbo leaned on a cane and asked people to raise funds everywhere.
60 before he was raising funds all over the world, and at that time he was to give blood transfusions to the dying Qing Dynasty. The fundraising now is for China's pillars and China's tomorrow.
On September 14, 1905, in the dilapidated house of the abandoned admiral yamen, there were more than one hundred students, no tables and chairs, only a blackboard, plus an old man, Fudan Public School, the predecessor of Fudan University, was established.
The words "Fudan" come from the ancient poem "Qing Yun Song": "The sun and the moon are shining brightly, and the sun is bright and the sun is bright," which means "rejuvenation of China", and also contains the meaning of "restoring Zhendan".
Facts have proved that what matters to a university is not a building, but a master.
Fudan Public School, although the conditions are arduous, under the careful guidance of Ma Xiangbo, some people who will be well-known in the future, such as Yu Youren, Zhu Kezhen, Li Shutong, Chen Yinke, Shao Lizi, Huang Yanpei, He walked out with his head held high, illuminating more people like the sun, moon and stars.
After Xinhai, Ma Xiangbo served as the first mayor of Nanjing, served as a senior adviser to the Presidential Office, and also acted as the president of Peking University at the invitation of Cai Yuanpei.
On November 4, 1939, 100-year-old Ma Xiangbo was taken by his family and fled thousands of miles away. He was transferred several times and finally died in Lang Son, Vietnam. My family knew that he wanted to be buried in China, so he had already returned to China. Until his death, he thought he was in his motherland.
This centenarian, who lived and was insulted, cried in the embers of his life: "I am a dog, I can only bark. I have been barking for a hundred years, but I still haven't woken up China."
Save China, some people use revolution, some people use literature, and some people use science, and Ma Xiangbo chose education.
This "old dog" has a unique knowledge, travels all over the world, caring about China, but has a tragic fate. In his later years, he turned to education to save the country. He did not hesitate to destroy his family and promote his studies to enlighten the people's wisdom.
Such ancestors and such fire thieves are the real backbone of our nation. With them, China can continue to grow and survive.
After Ma Xiangbo's death, his student Yu Youren's mentor: Return to God gloriously, protecting China through life and death.
Dreammaker Cai Yuanpei
4 months after Ma Xiangbo's death, his student Cai Yuanpei vomited blood in his mouth and fell to the ground. After the rescue failed, he died in Hong Kong Yanghe Hospital at the age of 73.
At the last moment of his life, he murmured to himself, "All kinds of accidents in the world are all due to people's own benefit. ...We must save the country with morality and academics..."
This is his last words left in the world.
dials the clock back to 1901.
This year, Cai Yuanpei became a disciple of Ma Xiangbo.
"The so-called university is not the size of the school building, the age of the students, nor the salary of the teachers. It is a noble morality and profound knowledge." Ma Xiangbo's words influenced Cai Yuanpei and later Peking University.
At this time, Cai Yuanpei has been in charge of Peking University for 15 years.
33-year-old Cai Yuanpei could have had a bright future before. He was born in Shaoxing, Zhejiang, where he was a talented man. He passed the scholar at the age of 16, passed the imperial examination at the age of 22, became a Jinshi at the age of 25, and was promoted to editor of the Hanlin Academy at the age of 27. Emperor Guangxu's teacher and Minister of Revenue Weng Tonghe particularly appreciated him and praised him for being "proficient in classics at a young age and having a very ancient literary style."
Cai Yuanpei was once an inspirational model among the population of Shaoxing Township. 17 years younger than him, , 4 weeks later, has admired him since he was a child.
He could have been a scholar quietly. However, the defeat in the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895 made Cai Yuanpei unconsciously study poetry.Especially after the murder of Tan Sitong , which he worshiped, Cai Yuanpei felt that the court was hopeless, so he resigned and returned to his hometown Shaoxing, and became the principal of the Chinese and Western School. A few years later, he applied for the job at Shanghai Nanyang Public School as the chief instructor of the special class and learned Latin from Ma Xiangbo.
Cai Yuanpei is not only literary talent, but also brave. During this period, Cai Yuanpei also established a liberation meeting with a group of anti-Qing righteous men, preparing to overthrow the Qing government by assassination and riots. He also taught himself chemistry, learned to configure poison and explosives, and taught many female students, who believed that it would be easier for women to succeed in assassination with poison.
Among the revolutionaries in the late Qing Dynasty, Cai Yuanpei was known for his courage and fighting, and Zou Lu said that he was "ruthless". Within the Tongmenghui, as the leader of the Zhejiang faction, Cai Yuanpei's reputation and strength can compete with the Guangdong faction led by Sun Yat-sen. However, Cai Yuanpei was not strong in power and hated internal struggles of the revolutionary party, so he finally went away.
39 years old, Cai Yuanpei went to Germany to study. At the University of Leipzig in Germany, Cai Yuanpei was eager to learn various Western theories. He also paid great attention to studying the German education system, believing that only by running a university can we save China.
During his stay in Germany, Cai Yuanpei compiled works such as "History of Chinese Ethics", which established his position in the academic and educational circles of China.
Four years later, the Xinhai Revolution broke out, and Cai Yuanpei returned to China and took office as the director of the Education Director of the Nanjing Provisional Government. During his term of office, he promulgated the "Interim Measures for General Education" and issued China's first school rules, "University Order" and "High School Order". He advocated the adoption of the Western education system and abolishing the worship of Confucius and reading the scriptures. In addition, Cai Yuanpei also discovered and invited Lu Xun, , Xu Shoushang, and other celebrities.
1916, Cai Yuanpei appeared on the most important stage in his life, Peking University. Here, he became the eternal president of Peking University.
Without Cai Yuanpei, there would not be Peking University today.
Cai Yuanpei went to Peking University before, not like a university, but more like a yamen.
This Peking University was launched due to the reform and is essentially a school for cultivating officials. Students must be officials above the seventh rank of Beijing who are from Jinshi or Juren. Most of them are not for the sake of studying, but for the sake of "learning and being good at being an official."
All students are called masters, while supervisors and teachers are called middle halls or adults. It is said that a student took the listener to class. The listener entered the house and bent his knees and beat him, shouting, "Please go to class by sir."
In the early years of the Republic of China, most of the guests who visited Huajie Liuxiang came from the "two houses and one hall". The "two houses" were the Senate and the House of Representatives, and the "one hall" was the Peking University.
So, at the end of 1916, it was not a bad thing to be before Cai Yuanpei.
Most of his friends opposed him going to Peking University to avoid tarnishing his reputation. "Peking University is so rotten that it will cause pus. If it cannot be rectified, it will deprive itself of its reputation."
Sun Yat-sen advised Cai Yuanpei to face the difficulties and bring democratic thought to the heart of the Beiyang warlords.
I don’t go to hell, who will go to hell? Cai Yuanpei decided to go north to take office.
January 4, 1917 was the first day when Cai Yuanpei went to Peking University campus to perform his position as president.
I have seen Gu Jiegang, a student who served as a principal, and later recalled: In the past, the president of Peking University was a key member directly appointed by the president. When he entered the door, the school servants had to salute, so the principal naturally did not have to look sideways. However, on the first day after Cai Yuanpei arrived at the school, he saw the school servants who were neatly lined up at the school gate and saluted respectfully, and took off his hat and bowed back. This time, a new trend in Peking University was opened.
The newspaper that day described it as follows:
"Academic masters come here in the heavy wind and snow. When they are in a fog, they suddenly see a star. Beijing has become a new policy and new thing, and people are full of expectations for reform."
Five days later, at the opening ceremony on January 9, Cai Yuanpei delivered an inauguration speech. "A great man is a master of high-level scholars."
From then on, Chinese universities finally knew how to become a university and knew what the spirit of independence is - universities are not the attachment to power, nor are they the ladder for promotion and wealth . The whole country was shocked as soon as the speech was released.
This inaugural speech laid the foundation for the formation and development of Peking University's spirit of "academic freedom, inclusiveness and inclusiveness" and opened a new era for Peking University. More than 0 years later, Luo Jialun, who was a student at Peking University at the time, recalled: "The deep, fearless and strong sound of (Cai Yuanpei) that shook people's hearts dispelled the dark clouds over Beijing. It not only gave Peking University a new soul, but also inspired young people across the country. "
Although Peking University was established in the reform and reform, it was truly born when Cai Yuanpei was the president.
Three fires were burned, and someone still needed to do things. If you want to turn Peking University into a real university, recruiting soldiers is the key.
Chen Duxiu is the first general invited by Cai Yuanpei.
At that time, Chen Duxiu was just a white dick, neither having a degree nor teaching. But Cai Yuanpei knew that he had great talent, so he took advantage of Chen Duxiu's business trip to Beijing and visited him three times to recruit him. Chen Duxiu was inspired and agreed to become the chief of liberal arts and science at Peking University. In order to get Chen Duxiu's proposal approved by the Ministry of Education, Cai Yuanpei also faked a degree from a Japanese university for Chen Duxiu.
Liang Shuming , who teaches Indian philosophy at Peking University, has no university degree, but Cai Yuanpei read his "Studying the Yuan and Resolving the Skeptics" published in Oriental Magazine and insisted on asking him to come to the school to teach. After repeatedly refusing to quit his teaching position, Liang Shuming, who had the idea of becoming a monk that year, finally joined Peking University at the end of 1917. He sighed: "I want to be a Peking University student but I can't get it, but I suddenly became a Peking University teacher."
1917, in just one year, Cai Yuanpei invited Chen Duxiu, Hu Shi, , Qian Xuantong, , Liu Bannong, Zhou Zuoren, Liang Shuming and others to work or teach at the school. In science, he first appointed Xia Yuanying, the first in China to introduce Einstein's theory of relativity, as the science director, and asked Ding Wenjiang, who was formerly the head of the geology department in the Mining Department of the Business Department to preside over the establishment of the geology sphere. This is how the beginning of Chinese geology begins.
Cai Yuanpei invited new people and also hired and retained many "old characters", such as Gu Hongming , Liu Shipei , Huang Kan , Chen Hanzhang , etc. They formed the main force of Peking University's "old school". The old and new confrontation have formed a situation where a hundred schools of thought contend.
In order to thoroughly implement his educational ideas, Cai Yuanpei fired several foreign teachers who were not good at learning and lazy in work. British Minister Juerdian even put pressure on himself, but Cai Yuanpei was unmoved.
Cai Yuanpei also put forward a famous point of view that the purpose of university education is to educate people rather than make tools.
"Education is to help educated people, to develop their own abilities, to fulfill their personality, and to fulfill their responsibilities in human culture; it is not to make educated people a special instrument."
Cai Yuanpei's expectations for Peking University are also reflected in the Peking University campus badge he commissioned Lu Xun to design.
The "north" on the upper part of the school emblem are two portraits standing back to back, and the "big" on the lower part is a portrait standing front, which means "people-oriented", and must shoulder the important mission of opening up people's wisdom.
At the same time, Cai Yuanpei reformed the school's listening system, "No matter whether you have a student status or not, you can come to listen to the class." One of the most famous listeners was called "Mao Zedong".
Cai Yuanpei attaches great importance to aesthetic education . The term "aesthetic education" was first translated by him from German. He even wanted to "replace religion with aesthetic education." In the article "Theory of Replacing Religion with Aesthetic Education", he made aesthetic education more clear: "Pure aesthetic education cultivates our feelings, gives us noble and pure habits, and makes others' selfish thoughts, benefiting oneself and harming others' selfish thoughts, and gradually fade away."
"Aesthetics" is the only course that Cai Yuanpei personally taught during his presidency of Peking University. In 1918, this course was held at Peking University's Chinese language, British literature and philosophy. Three years later, because there was no teacher, Cai Yuanpei personally gave a lecture. The students in class filled the large classroom with one or two hundred people, and even the podium was full of people.
Cai Yuanpei has another major reform after he arrived in Peking University, which is to establish a professorial review committee to realize professorial management. In the autumn of 1917, the Peking University Parliament was established and became the highest legislative body and supreme authority in the school.
Because of Cai Yuanpei, Peking University became the later Peking University. His proposition of "freedom of thought, inclusiveness" made Peking University the birthplace of the New Culture Movement and the center of academics. He is not only the founder of modern Peking University, but also the founder of the concept and spirit of modern Chinese universities.
Liang Shuming commented on Cai Yuanpei: "Mr. Cai's achievements in his life are not about academics or merits, but only about developing a trend, causing a major trend, affecting the whole country, and earning fruits in future generations."
American philosopher Dewey commented on Cai Yuanpei: " Comparing university presidents from all over the world, among the presidents of Oxford, Cambridge, Paris, Berlin, Harvard , there are many people who have made outstanding contributions to certain disciplines; but as a president who can lead a university and play a turning point in a nation and an era, there are no second persons except Cai Yuanpei. "
Cai Yuanpei, who was praised by later generations as the "eternal president of Peking University", worked hard all his life, was poor all his life, and had no house or land until his death. After his death in Hong Kong Health Hospital, he still owed more than a thousand yuan in medical expenses. Even the quilt and coffin that were dressed in the burial were collected by Wang Yun, the general manager of Commercial Press, for five generations.
When he died, the war was raging, and the war of resistance was in full swing, and the Kuomintang and the Communist Party also fought openly and secretly. However, both sides were very sorry for Cai Yuanpei's death and gave the highest evaluation unanimously. In his condolence message, Mao Zedong praised him as "a master of academic circles and a role model in the world." Zhou Enlai wrote the elegiac couplet and said: "From the platoon to the War of Resistance Against Japan, Mr. Xu's ambition is on the national revolution; from the May Fourth Movement to the Human Rights Alliance, Mr. Xu's trip is on democracy and freedom."
On March 10, 1940, Cai Yuanpei was funeral, and schools and shops across Hong Kong lowered half of the flag, and tens of thousands of people saw him off.
The troops were in chaos, and Cai Yuanpei's coffin could not be returned to his hometown for burial, so he could only temporarily settle down on the spot. Today, the "Eternal Chinese Cemetery" on the hillside of the southwest corner of Hong Kong Island is the location of Cai Yuanpei's tomb.
Since the 1980s, there have been constant calls for Cai Yuanpei to return to Peking University, but Peking University campuses rejected the situation because the Yanyuan area was a cultural relic.
However, loyal bones are buried everywhere in the green mountains, wherever they are buried is the glory. However, a university that can't even stand the bones of the old president of Peking University, dares to say it is "compatible"?
Sword holder Mei Yiqi
Tsinghua University next door, also produced a good principal, whose name is Mei Yiqi.
Tsinghua has been founded for 109 years. Mei Yiqi has been the principal for 17 years and is the longest-serving principal in Tsinghua history.
Before Mei Yiqi, like Peking University, Tsinghua University was not a good school.
Principal changed one after another, none of them satisfies the students.
Today's Tsinghua students give people the impression of science and engineering men and good boys, but in that era, Tsinghua teachers and students were the most rebellious. Tsinghua school motto once had 16 words, and the 8 words that disappeared were "free spirit and independent thought".
At that time, Tsinghua students were active in their minds, and a disagreement was a strike and demonstration.
There is a principal who even leads troops into the campus in order to suppress students, but the students are not afraid at all. They stood in a row and took a step forward together: If you have the affinity, you can shoot!
This principal is stupid. He has never seen such a student! The soldiers behind him were stunned. These children were not afraid of death!
students stepped forward again, pulled the principal up, hugged him into the Tsinghua auditorium, and forced him to sign and seal it on the spot, "I will never have the ambition to be the principal of Tsinghua University."
How can I be the principal?
drove away several principals, and Tsinghua students became famous. Tsinghua students also negotiated with the government, requiring the new principal not to be partisan, to have extensive knowledge and high prestige, and to be able to develop Tsinghua University.
Dare to negotiate terms with the government and dare to fight head-on with the army. That class of Tsinghua students were too arrogant and arrogant!
These arrogant students are like wild horses, waiting for the right rider. After 11 months of the position of principal, Mei Yiqi came.
Mei Yiqi was born in 1889 and is from Tianjin. She was the famous educator Zhang Boling in her early years. Zhang Boling is also Zhou Enlai's teacher. In 1909, Mei Yiqi was admitted to the first batch of students studying in the United States. Among the more than 630 candidates who took the exam, Mei Yiqi ranked sixth.Unlike the schools that were well-known to Chinese people when he went to study in the United States, he chose to study electrical engineering at the Worcester Polytechnic Institute, which was not well-known in China at that time.
Mei Yiqi came from a scholarly family. His father was originally a scholar. Later, he became a salt shop employee and then became unemployed. His family was very tight. In order to get a job early, after obtaining a bachelor's degree, he gave up the opportunity to continue his postgraduate studies and returned to China in 1915.
Half a year later, he served as the head of the physics department at Tsinghua School, teaching physics and mathematics. He was only 26 years old at that time, younger than many students.
At the end of 1931, Mei Yiqi took office as the principal of Tsinghua University.
In fact, Mei Yiqi was not on the list of candidates at first. However, the authorities inspected a lot and found that no one was competent, so they decided to ask him to give it a try.
Like Cai Yuanpei, Mei Yiqi's inauguration speech is also unique.
Mei Yiqi looked at the crowded students below the audience and said slowly: "I hope Tsinghua can maintain its position in academics, specifically to do a high-level and specialized academic aspect. Running a university should have two purposes: one is to study academics, and the other is to create talents."
Mei Yiqi continued: "Mencius said: 'The so-called homeland is not to have trees, but to have ministers in the world.'"
students thought it was the same as the previous one, and began to stir up again.
But Mei Yiqi's next words attracted them.
Mei Yiqi said: "I can also imitate it now: 'The so-called great people do not mean that there are buildings, but masters.'"
More than 20 years ago, Ma Xiangbo also said similar things. Of course, Mei Yiqi expressed it more concisely and powerfully. This sentence is the most famous saying in the history of Chinese universities and has been passed down to this day.
After Mei Yiqi finished speaking, the students were convinced!
is not enough to deal with the students, and there are still a bunch of cool professors waiting for him to settle them.
Tsinghua University has not had a principal for nearly a year. The school’s highest authority is a professor’s association composed of professors, who are powerful enough to remove the principal.
At that time, Tsinghua professors also had a strong lineup: Chen Yinke, Jin Yuelin , Ye Qisun , Zhao Yuanren , Feng Youlan, Zhu Ziqing ... are all well-known names.
Without two brushes, these famous professors will not be convinced orally.
The first time she attended the meeting, Mei Yiqi did not sit in the main seat, but sat down in the corner and signaled everyone to start the discussion. The professors saliva flew everywhere, and Mei Yiqi brought tea and poured water.
After the meeting, everyone asked the president to express his opinion. Mei Yiqi smiled and said, "I follow the crowd."
The university in his mind is like this, academic freedom and everyone is equal.
As the principal, Mei Yiqi pursues democracy and does not take power. Major matters within the school are decided by the professors to judge the democratic decision of the parliament. He brought Cai Yuanpei's style of working at Peking University to Tsinghua University.
He doesn't like to talk, and no one sees him blushing, so he gets the name of "talented gentleman".
Tsinghua professors thought he was not very good at business affairs at first, but he was actually an administrative veteran.
Mei Yiqi, who is an excellent teacher, has no official spirit, and is gentle and modest in dealing with others. The professors quickly accepted him.
In Mei Yiqi's hands, Tsinghua not only stabilized the situation, but also added a college of engineering and recruited more famous teachers.
If we talk about the deep understanding of the intellectual mentality, few people were better than Mei Yiqi at that time.
He and the four major tutors of the Institute of Chinese Studies, Wang Guowei, Liang Qichao, Chen Yinke, Zhao Yuanren, and especially Chen Yinke and Zhao Yuanren, have always maintained a sincere friendship. Wang Guowei committed suicide in the Summer Palace in the summer of 1927. Mei Yiqi personally went to the garden to collect the funeral and handle the funeral.
Hua Luogeng was only 20 years old when he caused a sensation in the mathematics community. But he only had a junior high school diploma and was also disabled, but Mei Yiqi waved his hand and said, "Let him come to Tsinghua University."
Hua Luogeng was thus entered by Tsinghua University. With Mei Yiqi's personal inquiry, he broke the rules and finally became a professor.
Wu Han, Qian Zhongshu, , etc., including Chen Yinke, who has no academic qualifications, was able to teach at Tsinghua University with the strong recommendation of Mei Yiqi.
He commented on Chen Yinke: "The position of this mentor must be Chen Yinke. Although he does not have a diploma, he is a master who has not produced any of them in the past three hundred years."
Tsinghua's ability to appoint people based on merit and is unconventional, which started with Mei Yiqi.
After Cai Yuanpei, the one who looks the most like Cai Yuanpei is Mei Yiqi.
Under the leadership of Mei Yiqi, Tsinghua University ushered in the most golden era in history, and elites gathered in Tsinghua Park for a while.
Take 1936 as an example. At that time, the teachers who worked were Pan Guangdan, Feng Youlan, Zhu Ziqing, Chen Yinke, Wen Yiduo, Yu Pingbo , Yu Guanying , Wu Mi , Ye Gongchao, Jin Yuelin, He Lin, Zhang Dainian , Wu Han, Wu Youxun, Ye Qisun, Zhao Zhongyao, Ren Zhigong, Zhou Peiyuan, Xiong Qinglai...
In the more than ten years that Mei Yiqi was in charge of Tsinghua, Tsinghua contributed to the world Li Zhengdao, , , Yang Zhenning, and Li Yuanzhe, trained 14 "Two Bombs and One Satellite" meritorious scientists (23 in total) for the New China. Liang Qichao, Wang Guowei, Chen Yinke, Wu Youxun, Ye Qisun, Gu Yuxiu, Chen Daisun, Chen Shengshen, , Qian Zhongshu, Hua Luogeng, Qian Xuesen, , Qian Sanqiang, , Qian Weichang... and other academic masters who are both knowledgeable in Chinese and Western cultures and are both proficient in arts and sciences.
, if you take out any of these people, they are all masters in their respective fields. In the next 80 years, no one could surpass them. This is both their glory and the sorrow of the country.
To the eve of the Anti-Japanese War, Tsinghua University had developed from an ordinary preparatory school for studying in the United States to the highest institution of learning in China that was on par with Peking University. Even Peking University President Hu Shi said that Tsinghua graduates are more popular than Peking University.
In the 20 years before Mei Yiqi became the principal, Tsinghua University had changed more than ten principals. But Mei Yiqi has been re-elected as principal for 17 years since 1931, and his status and prestige are unparalleled.
Someone asked him the secret, and Mei Yiqi humorously praised his good surname: "If you miss this and that, no one wants to be unlucky (Mei)."
In fact, the fact is not as easy as he said. However, Mei Yiqi does have extraordinary charm and superpowerful perseverance to be able to hold the position of Tsinghua University's principal for 17 years.
None of the professors who are above the top are convinced, they only accept Mei Yiqi, which is enough to show his charm.
One of his perseverance is that although he is as poor as a ghost, he never spends a penny of public funds. This kind of restraint and strict requirements on one's own character are amazing.
When he first arrived at Tsinghua University, he repeatedly emphasized diligence and thrift. The purpose of his doing this is to hope that students will maintain a simple and academic style without being involved in the habit of playing idly; the second is to save school funds. In fact, the Tsinghua Boxer's compensation was quite generous at that time, and Mei Yiqi could not have saved such a thing. In order to save expenses, Mei Yiqi resigned as the driver and learned to drive by herself; resigned as the chef, and asked his wife Han Yonghua to cook in person. Not only that, Mei Yiqi even didn't even need the two tons of coal that the school supplies him.
During the War of Resistance Against Japan, Mei Yiqi presided over the school affairs of Southwest Associated University, which was even more cost-effective.
According to the article "Mei Yiqi and Southwest Associated University", Principal Mei is both reliable and selfless in his work. During the War of Resistance Against Japan, prices rose and supply shortages. The people of the Southwest Associated University lived a very hard life, like beggars. During the War of Resistance Against Japan, Tsinghua formed a service club and used production surplus to subsidize Tsinghua colleagues' lives.
Once, a group of Southwest Associated University students were about to graduate, and Mei Yiqi was invited to teach them their last lesson.
is about to start class, and before Mei Yiqi comes, the students start to talk. Not long after, the classroom door opened, Mei Yiqi ran in panting, then walked up to the podium, standing there and gasping for breath.
It turned out that because his family was really tight, his wife had to sell some pastries to subsidize the family income. This time she went to purchase goods, and Mei Yiqi helped to guard the stall. Class was about to go to eight o'clock, but his wife had not come back at 7:30, so Mei Yiqi had to leave the stall and run back.
"However, the dim sum sold very well today, and you can make money!" On the podium, Mei Yiqi smiled proudly. Under the podium, many students wiped their tears.
In his later years, Mei Yiqi was hospitalized due to illness and was even unable to pay for medical expenses.Finally, the medical expenses and funeral expenses he owed were repaid by donations from Tsinghua teachers and students.
On May 19, 1962, Mei Yiqi died of illness at the National Taiwan University Hospital at the age of 73.
Mei Yiqi carried a handbag with her while she was alive, and she regarded it as a treasure. She had never opened it in public. No one knew what it was inside. She kept it under the bed after being hospitalized. Two weeks later, under the supervision of people from all sides, the secretary unsealed the bag. The package was opened and everyone was stunned. It turns out that is not an important document, nor a check passbook, but just an account book - Tsinghua fund account. From his first entrance to Tsinghua until his death, the accounts were clearly listed, and it was not bad at all.
Everyone present burst into tears.
Mei Yiqi's wife Han Yonghua said: Mei Yiqi did not leave any property, and all the words were finished on the hospital bed, so there was no need to write a will.
Retired professor of Tsinghua University and an expert in school history research, Huang Yanfu said: "He has been with his alma mater for decades. Although Tsinghua University has a strong fund, he is still very careful in taking some money. In a society where corruption is popular, it is really the behavior of a saint. This is enough to be a role model for all generations."
He also said: " I have studied Mei Yiqi for half a century and tried to find a little of his shortcomings. Until now, I have not found it. Mr. Mei is such a person who is so rigorous that he has no shortcomings. "
After Mei Yiqi's death, Chiang Kai-shek personally wrote "Xun Zhao's Education".
At the funeral, thousands of people held a carriage and ten thousand people sent their souls.
In order to commemorate him, people buried him on the campus of Tsinghua University in Hsinchu, Taiwan and named him "Plum Garden". Mei Yiqi Memorial Medal is regarded as the highest honor by graduates of Tsinghua University in Taiwan.
No one has ever called Mei Yiqi a master, but he has trained generations of masters.
In his life, he did not do any earth-shaking achievements, nor did he write for himself. He just did a good job in running a school, but just used his integrity and silent actions to tell every student how to be a "person".
Tsinghua University is still here, and there is no Mei Yiqi in the world.
Main sources: "One Day Talk: Oral Talk of Ma Xiangbo", "Biography of Cai Yuanpei", "A Self-Report of Mei Yiqi", "A Era of Sense: Mei Yiqi, President of Tsinghua University"
