Jiajian Xia Diary

Author: C. T. Hsia
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 1998-03-01
Features: This book was discovered by the author's brother, C. T. Hsia, while sorting through his late brother's belongings. Although the recorded period is less than a year, it is a genuine record of love, friendship, and family bonds, serving as a vivid portrayal of the inner journey of a generation of scholars. It holds significant historical value for understanding and researching the mindset, academic pursuits, and social interactions of intellectuals in the late 1940s who were influenced by Western culture. This diary spans from the first month of 1946 to the twenty-ninth day of September. On the diary's cover page, in English, it is written, "January–July, 1946, Kunming–Chongqing–Nanjing–Shanghai." Below a family photograph, a short poem is appended: "The world's light is like water and moon; The body and mind are as clear as glass. But only ice melts at the bottom of the stream, Not knowing that spring has bloomed on the branches." This book was discovered by C. T. Hsia after the author's death while sorting through his belongings. The recorded period is less than a year, primarily documenting a bitter love affair during the author's twenty-nine years. This bitterness did not stem from any external obstacles or the refusal of the beloved, nor did it manifest in any actions on the author's part over the course of several months. He struggled between expressing his feelings and suppressing them, essentially tormenting himself. Later, he finally wrote a long letter of 7,000 words, which likely frightened the girl, and his subsequent visit left her no time to adjust. They ended up having an argument. Afterward, it was a long period of self-narration and self-analysis—should he see her or not? Yet, he never saw the girl again. The author's genuine emotional experiences are enough to deeply move a wide readership. This book was discovered by C. T. Hsia after the author's death while sorting through his belongings. Although the recorded period is less than a year, it is a genuine record of love, friendship, and family bonds, serving as a vivid portrayal of the inner journey of a generation of scholars. It holds significant historical value for understanding and researching the mindset, academic pursuits, and social interactions of intellectuals in the late 1940s who were influenced by Western culture.