The Gentleman of Those Days

On July 7, 1937, the Marco Polo Bridge Incident broke out. Scholars and students from numerous academic and educational institutions were forced to relocate to places such as Changsha, Chongqing, and Kunming. In 1940, as the war intensified, faculty and students from Tongji University moved to the ancient town of Lizhuang in southern Sichuan. They were followed by the Academia Sinica, the Preparatory Office of the Central Museum, Peking University's Institute of Liberal Arts, the Society for the Study of Chinese Architecture, and other institutions, all making their way there in turn. For a time, Lizhuang became home to many of the country's finest scholars and vast collections of precious cultural relics and ancient books. Fu Sinian called it “a place you can't find on a map.”

With documentary realism, profound emotion, and vigorous prose, this work offers a sweeping portrait of the scholars' arduous lives and academic endeavors in Lizhuang. It vividly depicts the forceful scholarly leader Fu Sinian; the upright archaeological master Li Ji; Liang Sicheng, the painstaking doyen of architecture; the steadfast poet Lin Huiyin; the proud and gifted You Shou; and scholars such as Dong Zuobin and Liang Siyong, whose devotion to their work never wavered. It also captures their distinctive personalities and the integrity they showed in the face of poverty, illness, banditry, and even the threat of death, supporting one another and growing ever more resolute in hardship. During China's most perilous six years, they remained in their homeland, working through the night and passing knowledge from one generation to the next. They earned international recognition in the humanities and carried forward the lifeblood of Chinese culture.

The book also closely investigates the truth behind such historical events as the “research institute cannibalism incident,” the conflict between Fu and Li, disputes between Tongji's president and professors, and the looting of national treasures. It deeply analyzes the personal entanglements involved, as well as the institutional differences between research institutes and universities. The book also recounts the legendary history and local customs of Lizhuang, along with the changing fortunes of local officials and gentry before and after the War of Resistance. It brings to light in detail figures and events long concealed from view, making for a deeply moving account that stirs memories and leaves the reader sighing with emotion.