Long River Solitary Journey (The Life's Turmoil of Huang Wanli in His Ninety-Nine Years)

Author: Zhao Cheng
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-07-01
Features: Renowned Tsinghua University professor and famous water conservancy expert Huang Wanli, hailed as a model of conscience among intellectuals in 20th-century China for his pragmatic and straightforward approach, was born into a distinguished family. He studied under renowned masters and initially attended Tangshan Jiaotong University before pursuing advanced studies in water conservancy at Cornell University, the University of Iowa, and the University of Illinois, earning both master's and doctoral degrees. He worked on water conservancy projects in Southwest, Northwest, and Northeast China, insisting on field investigations and scientific practices. In 1957, based on the realities of the Yellow River, he firmly opposed the construction of the Sanmenxia Dam and criticized the planning of Soviet experts. Additionally, his book Whispers in the Flower Grove, which directly exposed societal issues, led to his persecution as a rightist. After enduring immense hardships, he was finally exonerated 22 years later and returned to teaching, continuing his fight for water conservancy truth until his death at the age of 90. With the authorization of Huang Wanli's family, the author has written his biography, providing nearly 200 precious photographs to witness historical vicissitudes. The book comprehensively portrays Huang Wanli's father, the famous educator and revolutionary Huang Yanpei, his wife Ding Yujun, his father-in-law Ding Weifeng (a founding member of the Kuomintang), his martyred older brother Huang Mengfu (former Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and Chairman of the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce), as well as numerous other members of the Huang family, including his students, friends, and relatives. The book vividly recounts the lives of three generations of maidservants, three generations of doctoral scholars, transnational relatives, an academician's son-in-law, and colleagues who shared hardships, presenting a historical panorama that unfolds before the reader.