Works of Hongye on Learning

Author: Hong Ye
Publisher:
Publish Date: Not available
Features: Hong Weilian (October 27, 1893 – December 23, 1980), originally named Ye, styled Lu, was given the courtesy name Zhengji, and known by the art name Weilian. His English name was William. He was a native of Houguan (now Minhou) in Fujian. A renowned historian. Hong Weilian received his early education at home. In 1910, he entered Fuzhou Heling Yinghua College. In 1915, he went to the United States for studies and obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree from Ohio Weslayan University in 1917 and a Master of Arts degree from Columbia University in 1919. In 1920, he graduated from Union Theological Seminary in New York with a Bachelor of Divinity degree. From 1920 to 1922, he traveled across the United States, giving lectures to raise support from American friends for China's resistance to Japan's occupation of Qingdao. In 1923, he was invited by Peking University to assist Harry F. in raising substantial funds for the construction of a new campus in the western suburbs of Beijing. That same year, he returned to Beijing, participated in the construction of the new campus, and served as a professor in the Department of History at Peking University. During his twenty-three years of teaching at Peking University, he held various positions, including Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, Director of the Department of History, Librarian, and Director of the Graduate School of Arts. In 1924, at the request of Peking University, he negotiated with Harvard University to establish the Harvard-Yenching Institute and to secure the Charles Martin Holle Fund for Asian cultural and educational initiatives. In 1925, he went to Harvard University to give lectures. In 1930, he returned to China and served as Director of the Institute of Chinese Studies and a mentor at Peking University. In 1933 and 1940, he was awarded honorary doctorates in literature and divinity by Ohio Weslayan University. During his time at Peking University, he served as the chief editor of the Harvard-Yenching Institute's "Index Sinicus" for over two decades. In 1937, he received the Paul Pelliot (Julien) Prize in Paris. On December 12, 1941, he was arrested and imprisoned by the Japanese along with Lu Zhiwei, Zhao Zichen, Deng Zhicheng, and others. After his release the following year, he refused to work for the Japanese puppet regime. In 1945, when Peking University reopened, he resumed his position as a professor in the Department of History. In 1946, he went to Harvard University to give lectures. In 1947, he served as a visiting professor at the University of Hawaii, and from 1947 to 1948, as a visiting professor in the Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations at Harvard University. From 1948, he became a research fellow at the Harvard-Yenching Institute. In 1958, he also served as a member of the Academic Council of Nanyang University in Singapore. In 1973, he received the "Pittsburgh University Award for Promoting Sino-Western Cultural Exchange." During his tenure as Librarian of Peking University in 1928, Hong Weilian meticulously established library management systems, paid close attention to the acquisition of new books and periodicals both domestically and internationally, as well as rare Ming and Qing historical texts, and made significant improvements to the library's catalogs. Hong Weilian was erudite and rigorous in his scholarship. He placed great importance on the compilation and application of reference works, inventing the "Method of Collecting Chinese Characters" and writing "On the Index Sinicus" to compile various indexes. Under his leadership, the Harvard-Yenching Institute's "Index Sinicus" division compiled sixty-four indexes in eighty-one volumes, greatly benefiting the academic community. His prefaces to the "Index Sinicus" for the "Book of Rites," the "Spring and Autumn Annals," and the "Poetry of Du Fu" ranged from tens of thousands to nearly a hundred thousand words, meticulously examining the origins of relevant academic studies, compiling related discussions, and elaborating on the evolution of textual transmission, all of which held significant academic value. Hong Weilian conducted in-depth and insightful research on Du Fu's poetry and life, the "Secret History of the Mongols," and the "Shitong," achieving remarkable accomplishments. Hong Weilian dedicated his life to education and the exchange of Sino-Western culture, making great contributions to the development of Peking University and the establishment of the Harvard-Yenching Institute. His major papers include: "On the Index Sinicus," "Limaotu's World Map," "Preface to the Index Sinicus of the Book of Rites," "Preface to the Index Sinicus of the Spring and Autumn Annals," "Preface to the Index Sinicus of Du Fu's Poetry," "The Origins of the Secret History of the Mongols" (English), "Supplement to the 'Discarding of Redundancy' in the Shitong" (English), and "A Reconsideration of Du Fu" (English). His works include "The Greatest Poet of China: Du Fu" (English monograph) and "Collected Essays on Scholarship by Hong Ye."