Who are the four great mentors of Chinese studies?

Tsinghua’s “Four Great Mentors of Chinese Studies”

Liang Qichao, Chen Yinke, Wang Guowei, and Zhao Yuanren are all the most outstanding scholars in modern times in my country. Mei Yiqi, the old president of Tsinghua University, once He said: "The so-called great scholar does not mean that he has a building, but that he has a master." It was precisely because of having them that the Tsinghua Institute of Chinese Studies, two years after it was founded, had a higher reputation than its predecessors. The school, and from this, Tsinghua University established a tradition of academic independence in China.

The owner of the ice drinking room - Liang Qichao

Liang Qichao (1873─1929) was a modern bourgeois reformist and scholar. His courtesy name is Zhuoru, his nickname is Ren Gong, and he is also known as the owner of the Ice Drinking Room. Born in Xiongzi Township, Xinhui County, Guangdong Province. Juren origin. Together with his teacher Kang Youwei, he advocated reforms and was known as "Kang Liang". The political essays he wrote in his early years were fluent, unrestrained and emotional, and were quite distinctive. In his later years, he taught at Thanh Hoa School. His works are compiled into "The Collection of Drinking Ice Room".

In the memories of Liang Shiqiu, writers can clearly see the masterful style of Liang Qichao. He recalled listening to Liang Qichao's speech in Tsinghua University and said: "He was wearing a long robe, walking steadily, with a graceful wind, looking around and shining brightly. This is Mr. Liang Rengong. He walked up to the podium, opened his speech, and looked down. Scan, and then his very brief opening remarks, only two sentences in a sentence, the first sentence is: "Qi Chao has no knowledge." He rolled his eyes upward and nodded slightly: "But there is a little bit of it!" It is rare to hear such words of humility and arrogance at the same time."

In 1914, when Tsinghua University was just three years old, he came to Tsinghua University to give a speech and quoted words from the "Book of Changes" to encourage Tsinghua students to do what they should. A gentleman should establish a "complete personality": "The sky is strong, and a gentleman strives for self-improvement; the terrain is smooth, and a gentleman carries his virtues." His speech had a profound impact on the development of Tsinghua's excellent academic style and school spirit. Since then, Tsinghua University has adopted the motto "Continuous self-improvement and virtuous conduct" as its school motto.

"Professor among professors" - Chen Yinke

Chen Yinke is a historian with knowledge of both China and the West. He is recognized as the most knowledgeable and accomplished academic master of this century. His major is medieval history. He has been a professor at Tsinghua University, Southwest Associated University, and Sun Yat-sen University for many years. He has also been a professor at Oxford and other prestigious foreign universities. All of his works are written in classical Chinese, and their knowledge is profound and difficult for readers with ordinary knowledge background to grasp.

At the beginning of the establishment of Tsinghua University, Liang Qichao recommended Chen Yinke, who was living abroad, to the principal. The principal refused because Chen Yinke had no degree and no education. Liang Qichao argued hard: "I, Liang, can be considered a prolific author, but the total number of words is not as valuable as Mr. Chen's few hundred words." The principal was finally convinced.

In Tsinghua University in the 1920s, there was a "professor among professors", and that was Chen Yinke. Because whenever he lectures, many professors will come to listen. He studied abroad intermittently for 20 years, concentrating on reading and research, but he took "doctoral" and "master's" degrees indifferently. So I didn't even get a college diploma. Then there was this person without a degree. When Zhao Yuanren, who was teaching at Harvard University, was hired as a tutor at Tsinghua University, Harvard University named him as his successor. Regarding his knowledge, we can know its profoundness and breadth from just one point: although he is not a linguist, he is proficient in as many as twenty or thirty languages.

"Walking in the South Study" - Wang Guowei

Wang Guowei was born in 1877 and died in 1927. His courtesy name was Jing'an and his nickname was Guantang. Among the four great mentors, Wang Guowei was the first to come to Tsinghua University. Wang Guowei studied language, science, philosophy, psychology, and sociology when he was young, and studied literature after he was 30 years old. After middle age, he also studied ancient Chinese history and made outstanding achievements in oracle bone inscriptions, establishing his status as a master of Chinese studies.

In 1923, he was called to serve as a clerk in the South Study Room of the last emperor Puyi. On June 2, 1927, he sank in Kunming Lake in the Summer Palace at the age of 50. Before leaving, he left a suicide note saying: "In fifty years, I only owe one death. After the changes in this world, my righteousness will no longer be insulted."

"The Father of Chinese Linguistics" - Zhao Yuanren

Another great scholar among the four great mentors is Zhao Yuanren. It may be difficult for ordinary people to imagine that this "Father of Chinese Linguistics" and one of the pioneers of modern Chinese music was hired as a physics lecturer at Cornell University in the United States at the age of 28. At the age of 29, he returned to Tsinghua University as a lecturer in physics, mathematics and psychology. At the age of 30, he served as a philosophy lecturer at Harvard University. At the age of 33, he was hired as a professor of philosophy at Tsinghua University.

After 1938, he taught at the University of Hawaii, Yale University, Harvard University, and University of California, Berkeley. He was elected president of the American Linguistic Association and the American Oriental Society. In 1981, Peking University awarded him the title of Honorary Professor.

Zhao Yuanren was engaged in the Mandarin Movement in his early years, and later devoted himself to linguistic research. He made important contributions in phonological theory, Chinese phonology, Chinese dialects and Chinese grammar.