Zhōu Yìqún Biography

Author: Tang Chengde, Jiang Zhizheng
Country: Mainland China
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-08-01
Features: On July 23, 1898, Zhou Yiqun was born into a "moderately prosperous" family in Tongren City, Guizhou Province. Tongren is a picturesque small city in the eastern part of the Guizhou Plateau. Surrounded by peaks on all sides, the city is dominated by Dongshan, which rises from the southeastern corner and originates from the two rivers—Daxi and Xiaoxi—flowing together at Tongyan to form Jinjiang. The river winds around the city from west to south, then eastward, merging into Yuan River in Hunan and eventually flowing into Dongting Lake. In the ancient city of Tongren Fu, there was a small north-south street called Dagongguan Road. On both sides of the street stood uneven brick-and-tile houses, and one courtyard at the northern end was the Zhou family's residence. Zhou Yiqun was born there.
In the Daoguang era of the Qing Dynasty, Zhou Yiqun's great-grandfather, Zhou Zhuoran, moved from Youyu Village, Pulixi County, Hubei Province, to Tongren to settle and engage in the production of painted plaques and couplets. This craft was passed down through his grandfather and father, who further developed it. His grandfather, Zhou Guiqi (the third child in the family), was a skilled businessman, and his grandmother was the daughter of a tenant farmer. Through decades of hard work, they accumulated some capital and purchased farmland in the rural areas near Tongren, as well as built several houses in the city. By the time his father, Zhou Ziben, took over the family business, although the family's fortune was declining, they still lived a comfortable life. By the time Zhou Yiqun was born, the Qing Dynasty was in extreme corruption and decline, and the invasion of imperialist powers led to a flood of "foreign goods" into the domestic market. The long-standing traditional Chinese handicrafts were severely impacted. As a result, the production of painted plaques and couplets that Zhou Ziben engaged in became increasingly difficult. Before Zhou Yiqun could remember anything, his parents, exhausted from hard work, passed away one after another. Several of his clan uncles, though not as wealthy as his family, had received some education, such as Zhou Zibing, Zhou Ziqian, and Zhou Zixiang, who were quite knowledgeable. Later, they provided Zhou Yiqun with education and instilled progressive ideas, which had a certain influence on his growth.
A diligent and upright youth In the early 20th century, Tongren was filled with private academies, with no modern schools. At that time, even though Zhou Yiqun was too young to attend school, he had a strong desire to learn. However, seeing the students in the private academies bowing and kneeling to the "sage" every day, he refused to attend. When he was five years old, his uncles, to satisfy his thirst for knowledge, had Zhou Zibing teach him to study at home. The teachings of his uncles were reflected in the two couplets they inscribed for him. One was written on the windows of his bedroom: "All day long gazing at the clouds, the heart is undisturbed; Sometimes watching the moon at night, one finds true leisure." The other was pasted on the door of his inner room, inscribed: "Reading books until old age, the eyes are as clear as a mirror; Discussing matters, astonishing others, the courage fills the body." These couplets became the "motto" for young Zhou Yiqun's pursuit of knowledge. During his self-study, the young Zhou Yiqun benefited greatly from the meticulous guidance of Zhou Zibing. The main subjects he studied were reading, writing, and calligraphy. He had to write many pages of brush calligraphy every day and would proactively ask his uncle to correct it. Zhou Zibing would review each character, encouraging the good ones with circles and providing guidance for the poor ones. One evening, while studying under a oil lamp, Zhou Yiqun was so engrossed in his books that he did not notice his uncle approaching him for a long time. Whenever he had a chance, he would ask his uncle questions about all sorts of topics, and his uncle would always patiently explain and enlighten him. His aunt-in-law, on the side, would light the oil lamp and take meticulous care of his daily needs, almost like a mother. Zhou Yiqun was also good at embracing new things. Even before he could remember anything, he could understand storytelling and would often squeeze into crowds to listen to folk tales and historical stories, showing his unique interest in history.
Zhou Yiqun's home was a small courtyard with a grassy area in front and a stone-walled room at the back as his bedroom. There was a small tower in the courtyard, which served as his study. The study was surrounded by flowers, green bamboo, and fruit trees, creating a very tranquil environment. Opening the windows of his study, the sounds of birds and the fragrance of flowers filled the room. He paid no mind to the beauty of nature; he had no interest in the dull and tedious "Four Books" and "Five Classics," but was completely absorbed in the progressive books his uncles gave him, such as articles introducing famous figures in Chinese and world history, which he truly cherished. At this time, due to the small family size and spacious housing, one of the side buildings near the study was rented out to another family. However, the young people in that family were unruly, gathering a group of rowdy youths to play and sing lewd songs and vulgar tunes, the noise of which was unbearable and turned the entire courtyard into a chaotic and noisy place, severely affecting Zhou Yiqun's study and physical and mental health. He persuaded these young people to stop singing such songs, but they not only ignored his advice but also spoke obscenities, making Zhou Yiqun very angry. One day, he rushed downstairs and scolded them. From then on, Zhou Yiqun finally had a quiet environment for his studies.
In 1905, Tongren saw a group of dedicated educators actively working to establish new schools. That year, Zhou Yiqun's uncle, Zhou Zibing, collaborated with Zhou Jingtong, who had returned from studying in Japan, to found South City Primary School. At that time, South City Primary School was the only modern school in the area, implementing an eight-year curriculum for lower and upper primary education. Zhou Yiqun enrolled in Class E. At school, he listened attentively and studied diligently; at home, he maintained his good habit of self-study. Dongshan was where Zhou Yiqun studied and exercised. It faced the shimmering Jinjiang to the east and was surrounded by the city on three sides, with lush evergreen trees. In autumn, the golden wild persimmons covered the mountain like a festive decoration, and the red-painted corners of the buildings stood out among the greenery. On the western side of the mountain foot, there was a stone pedestal with a naturally grown stone plate, resembling an inkstone. In the morning or after rain, the plate was always filled with clear, mirror-like water. Next to the inkstone, the ancients had carved the characters "Wash Ink." About ten feet away, there was a cave, with the words "Book Collection Room" inscribed on the stone wall by a famous person, which the locals called the "Immortal Cave." Every morning, Zhou Yiqun would carry his schoolbag and run to this place, reading texts at times and exercising his limbs at others.
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