Academy Topics - The Mire of Life

Author: Qian Liqun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-08-01
Features: The professor's lectures are simply wonderful, no wonder so many people attend. Though only a few are required to take the course, the classroom always fills up with over a hundred students. On sunny Wednesdays, listening to the professor's lectures in the beautiful sunlight is truly a blessing. I love when the professor reads articles to us. At that time, we can listen to him easily, even lazily, getting lost in thought or drifting off slightly. Seeing the sunlight makes us dance with joy. – From the Peking University "New Youth" website article "Wishing the Professor a Speedy Recovery"
I've heard students call me "lovable" more than once—honestly, among all the evaluations I've received, this is the one I like and cherish. I even hope these words will be inscribed on my tombstone: "This was a lovable person." This is the lifelong great pursuit of my life. I do often sharply criticize Peking University, and I won't deny my deep disappointment in today's university. As a result, I've been disliked by some at Peking University. However, those who truly understand my profound love for the university and support me are also its people. Peking University will always be my spiritual sanctuary.
I want to write about the "Chinese Story" and "My Story" of the 20th century, with the two serving as references and supplements to each other, perhaps forming a coherent system. Completing such work might give me an advantage in age: compared to my younger friends, I've entered old age, yet I possess the experience and insights they lack. In the community of the elderly, I'm still a "little brother," so I still have the energy to engage in research.
Yes, I exist. I strive. And we support each other in this way. – That is enough. To put it simply, over the past 20 years, the work I've done can be summarized in one point: "Lecturing on Lu Xun" and attempting to "continue the story," in order to transform the century's suffering of the nation, family, and individuals into spiritual resources. – Qian Liqun