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Ch'ien Mu or Qian Mu (; 30 July 1895 – 30 August 1990) was a Chinese historian, philosopher and writer. He is considered to be one of the greatest historians and philosophers of 20th-century China. Ch'ien, together with Lü Simian,
Chen Yinke Chen Yinke, or Chen Yinque (3 July 18907 October 1969), was a Chinese historian, linguist, orientalist, politician, and writer. He was a fellow of Academia Sinica, considered one of the most original and creative historians in 20th century Chin ...
and Chen Yuan, was known as the "Four Greatest Historians of Modern China" ().


Life


Early life: Jiangsu, Beijing

Ch'ien Mu was born in Qifang Qiao Village (, ) in
Wuxi Wuxi ( zh, s=无锡, p=Wúxī, ) is a city in southern Jiangsu, China. As of the 2024 census, it had a population of 7,495,000. The city lies in the southern Yangtze delta and borders Lake Tai. Notable landmarks include Lihu Park, the Mt. Lings ...
,
Jiangsu Province Jiangsu is a coastal province in East China. It is one of the leading provinces in finance, education, technology, and tourism, with its capital in Nanjing. Jiangsu is the third smallest, but the fifth most populous, with a population of 84. ...
. He was from the prestigious Qian (Ch'ien) family in
Wuxi Wuxi ( zh, s=无锡, p=Wúxī, ) is a city in southern Jiangsu, China. As of the 2024 census, it had a population of 7,495,000. The city lies in the southern Yangtze delta and borders Lake Tai. Notable landmarks include Lihu Park, the Mt. Lings ...
, with his ancestor said to be Qian Liu (852–932), founder of the
Wuyue Wuyue (; ) was a Dynasties in Chinese history, dynastic state of China and one of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period#Ten Kingdoms, Ten Kingdoms during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period of History of China, Chinese history. It wa ...
Kingdom (907–978) during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. Ch'ien's biographer Jerry Dennerlien described his childhood world as the "small peasant cosmos" of rituals, festivals, and beliefs held the family system together. He received little formal education, but gained his knowledge on Chinese history and culture through traditional family school education and continuous self-study. At eighteen years old, Ch'ien began his teaching career as a primary school teacher in his hometown. In 1930, he was hired as a lecturer in
Yenching University Yenching University () was a Private university, private research university in Beijing, China, from 1919 to 1952. The university was formed out of the merger of four Christian colleges between the years 1915 and 1920. The term "Yenching" come ...
following a recommendation and invitation by famous historian Gu Jiegang. Ch'ien continued teaching at several other universities, including
Tsinghua University Tsinghua University (THU) is a public university in Haidian, Beijing, China. It is affiliated with and funded by the Ministry of Education of China. The university is part of Project 211, Project 985, and the Double First-Class Constructio ...
and
Peking University Peking University (PKU) is a Public university, public Types of universities and colleges in China#By designated academic emphasis, university in Haidian, Beijing, China. It is affiliated with and funded by the Ministry of Education of the Peop ...
, until 1937 when Peking (now Beijing) was occupied by the Japanese army.


Hong Kong

In 1949, amid the victory of the
Chinese Communist Party The Communist Party of China (CPC), also translated into English as Chinese Communist Party (CCP), is the founding and One-party state, sole ruling party of the People's Republic of China (PRC). Founded in 1921, the CCP emerged victorious in the ...
in the
Chinese Civil War The Chinese Civil War was fought between the Kuomintang-led Nationalist government, government of the Republic of China (1912–1949), Republic of China and the forces of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Armed conflict continued intermitt ...
, Ch'ien moved to
British Hong Kong Hong Kong was under British Empire, British rule from 1841 to 1997, except for a Japanese occupation of Hong Kong, brief period of Japanese occupation during World War II from 1941 to 1945. It was a crown colony of the United Kingdom from 1841 ...
at Chang Ch'i-yun's suggestion. With help from the Yale-China Association, along with Tang Chun-i, Tchang Pi-kai and other scholars, Ch'ien co-founded
New Asia College New Asia College is a List of the constituent colleges of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, constituent college of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, a public university in New Territories, Hong Kong. The College was founded in 1949 by a g ...
. He served as the president of New Asia College from 1949 to 1965. This college has graduated many great scholars and outstanding members of various communities. Ch'ien resigned from presidency after New Asia College became a member college of
The Chinese University of Hong Kong The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) is a public university, public research university in Sha Tin, New Territories, Hong Kong. Established in 1963 as a federation of three university college, collegesChung Chi College, New Asia Coll ...
and moved to
Ma Liu Shui Ma Liu Shui is an area in Sha Tin District, in the New Territories, Hong Kong. The area faces Tide Cove (Sha Tin Hoi) and Tolo Harbour. The Chinese University of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Science Park are located in Ma Liu Shui. Name et ...
. Publicly, he reasons that he wanted to devote more time to his scholarship, but in private revealed that he felt that the college had lost its freedom and might eventually disappear. He then founded New Asia Middle School as a non-profit-making Chinese secondary school at the former campus of the college. Ch'ien later received honorary doctorates from
Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...
and the
University of Hong Kong The University of Hong Kong (HKU) is a public research university in Pokfulam, Hong Kong. It was founded in 1887 as the Hong Kong College of Medicine for Chinese by the London Missionary Society and formally established as the University of ...
. He taught at the
University of Malaya The Universiti Malaya (lit 'University of Malaya'; abbreviated UM) is a public university, public research university located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is the oldest Malaysian institution of higher education, and was the only university in ...
in
Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur (KL), officially the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, is the capital city and a Federal Territories of Malaysia, federal territory of Malaysia. It is the largest city in the country, covering an area of with a census population ...
before returning to Hong Kong.


Taiwan

Ch'ien relocated to
Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...
in October 1967 after accepting an invitation from President Chiang Kai-shek, in response to the 1967 Hong Kong riots. In 1968, he was selected as a member of the
Academia Sinica Academia Sinica (AS, ; zh, t=中央研究院) is the national academy of the Taiwan, Republic of China. It is headquartered in Nangang District, Taipei, Nangang, Taipei. Founded in Nanjing, the academy supports research activities in mathemat ...
, which remedied a little his lifelong regret for not being able to be elected as a member of this Institute in the first election in 1948. He was given land in Waishuangxi in the
Shilin District Shilin District (also spelled Shihlin District, zh, t=士林區, p=Shìlínqū, poj=Sū-lîm-khu) is a district of Taipei. The central command center of the Republic of China Navy (ROCN) is located in Shilin. History The name ''Shilin'' w ...
to build his home Sushulou () while continuing as a freelance academic researching and giving lectures at universities in Taiwan. Ch'ien retired from teaching in 1984. After becoming one of the three constituent colleges of the
Chinese University of Hong Kong The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) is a public university, public research university in Sha Tin, New Territories, Hong Kong. Established in 1963 as a federation of three university college, collegesChung Chi College, New Asia Coll ...
, in 1978 New Asia College inaugurated the Ch'ien Mu Lectures in his honor. On 1 June 1990, two
Democratic Progressive Party The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is a centre to centre-left Taiwanese nationalist political party in Taiwan. As the dominant party in the Pan-Green Coalition, one of the two main political camps in Taiwan, the DPP is currently the ...
politicians,
Chen Shui-bian Chen Shui-bian ( zh, t=陳水扁; born 12 October 1950) is a Taiwanese former politician and lawyer who served as the fifth president of the Republic of China (Taiwan) from 2000 to 2008. Chen was the first president from the Democratic Progres ...
and Chou Po-lun, accused Ch'ien of occupying public land as the nature of gifting the land for Sushulou by Chiang Kai-shek to a private citizen was deemed to be illegal. Ch'ien and his wife moved out of Sushulou and relocated to a high-rise apartment in downtown Taipei City. Ch'ien died on 30 August 1990, a little less than three months after being forced to move out of Sushulou. Many of Ch'ien's supporters condemned the practice Chen and Chou of using Ch'ien for scoring political points against the
Kuomintang The Kuomintang (KMT) is a major political party in the Republic of China (Taiwan). It was the one party state, sole ruling party of the country Republic of China (1912-1949), during its rule from 1927 to 1949 in Mainland China until Retreat ...
. Both Chen and Chou have since apologized for the damages of their accusations towards Ch'ien, and Sushulou is now the location of the Ch'ien Mu Memorial. In 1992, he was buried in his hometown Wuxi, by the shores of
Lake Tai Taihu (), also known as Lake Tai or Lake Taihu, is a lake in the Yangtze Delta and the third largest freshwater lake in China. The lake is in Jiangsu province and a significant part of its southern shore forms its border with Zhejiang. With ...
.


Works

Ch'ien wrote extensively on Chinese classics, history and Confucian thought. Unlike many 20th-century Chinese intellectuals influenced by the
New Culture Movement The New Culture Movement was a progressivism, progressive sociopolitical movement in China during the 1910s and 1920s. Participants criticized many aspects of traditional Chinese society, in favor of new formulations of Chinese culture inform ...
of the 1910s who were fundamentally skeptical of traditional Chinese thought and Confucianism, he insisted on the importance of traditional values of Chinese culture. By the time of his death in 1990, his objections to the rejection of tradition of Confucianism had gained wider credence, partly through the influence of his student at New Asia College, Yu Ying-shih. Ch'ien Mu was an extremely industrious and prolific scholar who had about 76 works published during his life, which exceeded 17 000 000 words in total. After his death, his complete works were collected and edited into 54 volumes, published in 1994 by Linking Publishing Company in Taipei. In 2011, a revised edition of his complete works was published in Beijing by Jiuzhou Publishing Company in traditional Chinese characters. Representative works: # ''A General History of China'' (''Guoshi dagang'', '');'' # ''Comments on the chin wen''/''ku wen'' (''New Text/Old Text) Controversy in Han'' (''Lianghan jingxue jin gu wen ping''yi, ) # ''A New Biography of Zhu Xi's Academic Life'' (''Zhuzi xin xue'an'', ) # ''A Scholastic History of China in Late 300 Years'' (''Zhongguo jin sanbai nian xueshu shi'', ) # ''History of the Qin and Han Dynasty'' (''Qin Han shi'', ) # ''Neo-Confucianism during Song and Ming Dynasty'' (''Song Ming Lixue'', ) # ''Examining Chinese People and Culture Through Chinese History'' (''Cong Zhongguo lishi lai kan Zhongguo minzu xing ji Zhongguo wenhua'', )


Criticism

Critics of Ch'ien's ideas, such as Li Ao, tend to focus on his superficial knowledge of non-Chinese currents of thoughts when he wrote his treatises on
cultural studies Cultural studies is an academic field that explores the dynamics of contemporary culture (including the politics of popular culture) and its social and historical foundations. Cultural studies researchers investigate how cultural practices rel ...
, and his lack of objective,
scientific method The scientific method is an Empirical evidence, empirical method for acquiring knowledge that has been referred to while doing science since at least the 17th century. Historically, it was developed through the centuries from the ancient and ...
-based, defense of traditional Chinese culture. condemns Ch'ien's own bias as "19th century traditionalist" in his "A Comment on Ch'ien Mu's Treatise on Chinese Scholarships During the Qing Dynasty" (錢穆論清學史述評) for being unable to view 19th century currents of thoughts with contemporary (20th century) perspectives. It could be argued, however, the opposition is based upon the critics' support of the New Culture Movement's legacies, which Ch'ien explicitly rejected.李敖.李敖大全集.19,李敖新语 中国友谊出版公司,2010. Another recurring theme from Ch'ien's critics, from the 1930s onwards, concerns his defense of traditional Chinese political system, headed by a monarch but with the government filled by examinations-based mandarins, as a representative form of government, as a simplistic fantasy. Ch'ien Mu was also criticized for having invested in too many different academic fields. For example, his research on Chinese Literature was considered as "unprofessional". His work on Daoism and ''Zhuangzi'' : ''Zhuangzi Zuan Jian'' 莊子纂箋 had also drawn him criticisms for long.


Memorial

* New Asia College Ch'ien Mu Library *Former Residence of Ch'ien Mu in Hongshan 鴻山 of Wuxi (Jiangsu Province)


Notes


References and further reading

* Jerry Dennerline, ''Qian Mu and the World of Seven Mansions'' (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1988). * Yu Yingshi, ''You ji feng chui shuishang lin--jing dao Qian Binsi shi'' 犹记风吹水上粼-敬悼钱宾四师, collected in ''Xiandai xueshu yu xueren'' 现代学术与学人 (Guilin: Guangxi Normal University Press, 2006). * Yan Gengwang 严耕望, ''Qian Mu Binsi xiansheng yu wo'' 钱穆宾四先生与我, collected in ''Zhi shi san shu'' 治史三书 (Shanghai: People's Publishing House, 2011). *


External links


Chienmu's House in Shilin


Portrait


Qian Mu. A Portrait by Kong Kai Ming
at Portrait Gallery of Chinese Writers (Hong Kong Baptist University Library). {{DEFAULTSORT:Chien, Mu 1895 births 1990 deaths 20th-century Chinese historians Chinese Civil War refugees Chinese Confucianists Academic staff of the Chinese University of Hong Kong Historians from Jiangsu New Asia College Members of Academia Sinica Academic staff of the National Southwestern Associated University Academic staff of Peking University Philosophers from Jiangsu Philosophers from Zhejiang 20th-century Chinese philosophers Senior advisors to President Chiang Kai-shek Taiwanese people from Jiangsu Academic staff of Tsinghua University Writers from Wuxi Academic staff of Yenching University Educators from Wuxi Scholars of ancient Chinese philosophy