Vol. 4 of the Complete Works of ZHU Kezhen

Author: ZHU Kezhen
Publisher:
Publishing Date: Not available
Features: This volume collects ZHU Kezhen's articles, conference speeches, work reports, prefaces, proposals, peer review comments, letters, inscriptions, poems, the first and revised editions of his monograph Phenology, as well as personal collections such as his self-autobiography, application letter for joining the Communist Party, resume, and certificates—totaling 171 pieces. In 1960, during the Three Years of Difficult Times, ZHU Kezhen, already 70 years old, was still traveling extensively and engaging in fieldwork in remote and impoverished areas. Resource surveys, desertification control, the South-to-North Water Diversion Project, nature conservation, and science "supporting agriculture" were the themes of his thoughts and actions from 1960 to 1965. In 1962, at the age of 72, he fulfilled his lifelong dream of joining the Communist Party of China. During the Cultural Revolution, although ZHU Kezhen was included in the special protection list and thus avoided severe persecution, he was in fact abruptly removed from his leadership position. During his forced "retirement," he made full use of the rare time he had to dedicate his efforts to two projects he had long been interested in and had accumulated substantial expertise over the years: one was the meticulous writing of Preliminary Study on Climate Change in China Over the Past 5,000 Years, and the other was the revision of Phenology in collaboration with others. The period covered in this volume was marked by frequent political turmoil. Amid persistent confusion, ZHU Kezhen's greatest concern remained the fate of the nation, the suffering of the people, and the future of the scientific cause. His self-autobiography, application letter for joining the Communist Party, and many letters reflect the intellectual path of a certain category of elderly intellectuals of that era who earnestly sought "reform" and rejected their "old selves." This book adheres to the principle of "authentic preservation," striving to present ZHU Kezhen's academic achievements and life journey truthfully, thereby reflecting the historical process of political changes and social and cultural transformations in modern China.