Li Shizeng

Li Shizeng

Li Shizeng (May 29, 1881 - September 30, 1973), male, formerly known as Li Yuying, was born in Gaoyang, Hebei Province. His pen names were Zhenmin and zhenshizeng. During the period of the Republic of China, he was a famous educator, one of the founders of the Palace Museum, one of the four senior members of the Kuomintang, and the chief director of Nantong University. In his early years, he initiated and organized the work study movement in France, which made great contributions to the cultural exchanges between China and France.

Life of the characters

birth

Li Shi was born in a family of prominent officials in the late Qing Dynasty. His father, Li Hongzao, was a military minister in the Tongzhi period of the Qing Dynasty. He was one of the representatives of the Qing school, which was famous for its conservatism. Li Shi was the third son of Li Hongzao. At the age of 6, he was familiar with poetry and books. At the age of 15, he learned Sinology from the famous scholar Qi Yiting in the capital, and accumulated a deep foundation of Sinology.

Going to France

In 1902, Li Shi went to France with sun Baoqi, minister to France. In Paris, Li Shi studied at mondaton agricultural school. After graduation, he studied biology at Pasteur college and the University of Paris. In 1906, he, Zhang Jingjiang, Wu Zhihui and others organized the "world society" in Paris to promote anarchism. In the same year, introduced by Zhang Jingjiang, Li Shi once joined the Paris branch of the alliance.

In 1909, Li Shi founded the Chinese tofu company in the western suburb of Paris, and made tofu by machine, so he won the title of doctor tofu. In 1911, Li Shi returned to China to take part in the revolution of 1911. In Tianjin, he and Huang Fusheng organized the Beijing Tianjin alliance, published the opinion daily, and publicized and organized the revolution in the north. In 1912, Li Shizeng, Wu Zhihui and others founded the frugal society of studying in France in Beijing. At the beginning of 1913, the first batch of 30 students funded by the Institute of frugality went to France, and Li Shi arranged for them to enter Monta college in the southern suburbs of Paris. After the failure of the second revolution, Li Shi once fled to France. After the outbreak of the first World War, the north of France was caught in the flames of war, and most of the Chinese students fled to the southwest of France. Once they entered, they had no life and were in a difficult situation. In 1914, Li Shizeng, Cai Yuanpei and Wang Jingwei organized the southwest maintenance meeting of studying in France. In June 1915, Li Shi, citing the example of the tofu company, and Cai Yuanpei, organized the Institute of diligence and thrift to call on overseas students to work diligently. Thrifty to study, with their own labor income to maintain life and study.

In 1917, at the invitation of Cai Yuanpei, Li Shi returned to China and became a professor of biology at Peking University. While teaching, he continued to work and study in France. He, Cai Yuanpei and others established the Chinese French Education Association and the work frugality society in France in Beijing. In 1917, he founded the country's first technical school in France in Buli village, Gaoyang County. At the same time, Li Shizeng also set up a preparatory class for studying in France in Yude Middle School of Baoding. With good equipment and high level of teachers, this class is the most preparatory class to send international students to France. In 1918, the French special training hall was established in Beijing. Li Shi was the deputy director of the museum and taught in person. Because of the increasing number of students going to France, the Chinese French Education Association was overwhelmed. Li Shi, who was interested in the work study program, once again went to France to arrange work, study and life for the students. After the end of the first World War, the French economy was depressed, a large number of workers lost their jobs, and many Chinese students had no jobs to do. Li Shi used to make use of his relationship with French officials and educators to solve the problems of some students. In 1920, Li Shi founded Sino French university in Beijing. In the same year, with the financial support of Sun Yat Sen and the Guangzhou government, he established the Sino French university in Lyon, France.

KMT veteran

In 1924, at the first National Congress of the Kuomintang, Li Shizeng and Wu Zhihui were elected central supervisory committee members of the Kuomintang. In October 1924, Feng Yuxiang launched a coup in Beijing, expelling the last emperor Puyi from the palace. On November 5, Li Shi participated in the event as a non-governmental representative and served as the chairman of the Palace Museum property clearance and preservation Committee.

In 1926, Zhang Jingjiang and Cai Yuanpei were also elected to the Supervisory Commission. Li, Wu, Zhang and Cai were known as the four senior members of the Kuomintang because of their close relationship. In 1925, the Palace Museum was established, and Li Shi was the former president of the Palace Museum.

In April 1927, Li Shi held many meetings with Wu Zhihui, Zhang Jingjiang and others to plot against the Communist Party. After the "April 12 counter revolutionary coup", Li Shi fully supported Chiang Kai Shek's establishment of the national government in Nanjing.

In September 1928, at the invitation of Zhang Xiaoruo, he became the chief director of Nantong University.

During the Anti Japanese War, Li Shi engaged in diplomatic activities in Europe and America. In 1948, he returned to China as a senior minister of the presidential office and went to Switzerland after 1949.

In 1956, Li Shi once settled in Taiwan. He died on September 30, 1973 at the age of 92 and was buried in Yangmingshan, Northern Taiwan.

Main contributions

In his early years, he initiated and organized the work study movement in France, which made great contributions to the cultural exchanges between China and France.

Chinese PinYin : Li Shi Ceng