Beyond the Pyrenees

Author: He Weifang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-09-01
Features: To celebrate the 50th anniversary of its founding, the Beijing Alumni Association of Southwest University of Political Science and Law planned this substantial academic series. As a graduate who has always been enthusiastic about alumni activities, I felt truly delighted to be able to participate in this grand event. However, when several old classmates persuaded me to contribute a piece to this series, I hesitated—recently, several collections had been published, with little new material, making it impossible to prepare a worthy dish for this academic feast. Unable to avoid the request, I decided to take a different approach. Suddenly, I remembered a past plan to edit a selected collection of my writings. At the time, my hometown publishing house—Shandong Education Press—invited scholars to compile a series of self-selected collections, each including essays, (notes), and dialogues. I found this arrangement excellent and spent some time compiling a collection, writing a preface, and even settling on the title you see today. However, after further consideration, I voluntarily withdrew from the project. Only the preface remained, occasionally appearing online. Since then, six years have passed. Over the years, I have written more pieces, particularly in the form of (notes and critiques), which have been published frequently, and a few collections have also been released. Now, to participate in this series, it would be appropriate to revise and compile a new collection as a modest gift to my alma mater. Thus, I selected five essays, 30, and seven prefaces, along with the transcript of a recent lecture I gave at the university on the spirit of Southwest University of Political Science and Law, to compile this collection for publication.
Most of the articles in this collection have previously been included in works such as The Concept and System of Justice (China University of Political Science and Law Press, 1998), Notes at the Edge of the Law (Law Press, 1998; 2nd ed., 2003), Concrete Rule of Law (Law Press, 2002), and Methods of Delivering Justice (Shanghai Sanlian Bookstore, 2002). Only one speech, "The Catholic Marriage System and Its Influence on Secular Law" (a part of my master's thesis), and 8 of the 30 are newly published and have not been previously collected. Therefore, friends who have already purchased the aforementioned books need not spend their limited funds on this one.
Republishing previously published texts is often justified by the saying "a dog's tail is its own treasure." This idiom not only reflects one's feelings about their own writings but also, perhaps, describes a graduate's somewhat irrational affection for their alma mater. Southwest University of Political Science and Law has already weathered half a century of ups and downs, and compared to some ancient universities in the world, a 50-year-old university is still just a young child. Moreover, in terms of academic programs, library collections, and campus development, Southwest still has many shortcomings. However, for us graduates, our perceptions of the university are clearly mixed with too many emotional factors. On this small campus beneath the Gele Mountain, we spent our beautiful youth. Southwest gave us not only professional training and a diploma but, more importantly, the spiritual nourishment, personal growth, and the unique campus atmosphere that shaped our characters. Of course, it also includes the intense Southwest sentiment, like the rich aroma of an old hotpot, that we can never shake off.
In my speech titled "The Spirit of Southwest Legal Scholars," I expressed my understanding of the university's spirit, which, of course, is very superficial and may only reflect my own biased views. However, I sincerely hope that the 50th anniversary celebration will be an opportunity for the university to rejuvenate and that in the years to come, it will foster an increasingly vibrant academic atmosphere, enabling generations of graduates to make even greater contributions to the cause of national rule of law.
In December 2002, the Guangdong Alumni Association was established in Guangzhou, and I was invited to attend the grand event. Nearly a thousand active alumni from the legal field and other industries gathered in the conference hall of the Garden Hotel in Guangzhou, and the atmosphere deeply moved me. Guangzhou is the location of Kang Youwei's Wanmu Study, and we gathered at the Garden Hotel, so it triggered nostalgic feelings. Without fearing the laughter of Teacher Gao Shaoxian present, I composed a doggerel to express my joy and pride in the outstanding achievements of our alumni. Here it is, recorded as a conclusion:
"Under the law, ten thousand trees wish to grow tall,
Under freedom, a hundred flowers have already bloomed.
How can such beauty be found in the world?
Southwest scholars gather in Lingnan."