Chen Zhi

Chen Zhi

Chen Zhi (1899-1989), a famous Forester and gardener, is a professor of Nanjing Forestry University. Born in Chongming, Shanghai on June 1, 1899. He is an outstanding landscape architect and founder of modern landscape architecture in China. Together with academician Chen Junyu and Professor Chen Congzhou, he is also known as "three Chen of Chinese garden". Chen Zhi devoted his whole life to the research of gardening science and forestry heritage. More than 20 monographs have been published, and hundreds of papers are scattered in various newspapers and magazines, with a total of more than 5 million words. Chen Zhi studied Chinese gardening art and compiled an introduction to gardening. This is the earliest monograph on gardening in modern China, which laid the foundation of Chinese gardening and made it an independent discipline and one of the world's science.

Character experience

Chen Zhi graduated from the Forestry Department of the first agricultural school of Jiangsu Province in 1918. In 1919, he entered the Department of agriculture, Imperial University of Tokyo, Japan, majoring in forestry and gardening. After returning to China in 1922, he served as a teacher of Jiangsu first agricultural school, technical director and field director of the public forest (later changed to Jiangsu Education forest) of Jiangsu Education League. In 1926, he was a member of the Design Committee of the premier's mausoleum. In 1931, he was an associate professor of the Agricultural College of Central University. From 1933 to 1937, he was the technical principal of Jiangsu land administration bureau, the technical principal and section chief of Jiangsu Provincial Department of construction, and the professor and Dean of the Agricultural College of Henan University. He wrote the original theory of afforestation when he was teaching in Central University, which laid a preliminary foundation for China's afforestation. The book was designated as one of the University series by the Ministry of education, and was published by the national compilation and translation Museum in 1949. Based on his many years of experience and feelings in forestry education and teaching, he wrote the article "forestry in China in the past 15 years", which was published in the sixth volume of Xueyi series published by the commercial press in 1933. Since the Anti Japanese war in 1937, Chen Zhi transferred to the rear and taught in the Agricultural College of Yunnan University. During that time, he fulfilled his ambition of compiling the famous annals of Chinese woody plants by the Chinese. After the victory of the Anti Japanese War, Chen Zhi was appointed as the receiving officer of Hainan Island. Through field investigation and research, he compiled two books, development of Hainan Island Resources and new records of Hainan Island, which were published by the commercial press in 1948 and 1949 respectively. At the same time, he has also written nearly 10 papers on the development of agriculture, forestry, fishery and animal husbandry in Hainan Island, which have been published in Oriental Magazine. After taking over his job in 1947, he returned to Guangzhou as a professor in the Agricultural College of Sun Yat sen University. After the founding of the people's Republic of China, he was a professor in the Department of forestry, agricultural college, Nanchang University. In 1952, he was transferred to the Department of forestry of Huazhong Agricultural University as a professor. In 1955, he was incorporated into Nanjing Forestry College together with the teachers and students of the Forestry Department of Huazhong Agricultural College. He joined the Jiusan Society in 1956. He successively served as the first board member and the fifth supervisor of the Chinese forestry society. Chen Zhi died in 1989 at the age of 90.

Research direction

Chen Zhi devoted all his life to forestry education and academic research, to the study of Chinese gardening art, and to the excavation and arrangement of the gardening heritage of the motherland. When he was studying in Japan, he was influenced by famous landscape architects such as his tutor, Dr. Katsuki bendor and Keiji shanghara, and he had a great interest in landscape architecture. After returning home, he studied and explored diligently.

Main contributions

In order to carry forward the long history and brilliant achievements of Chinese gardening art, he collected a lot of materials and compiled the book "Introduction to gardening". The Chinese gardening society was founded in 1928 under the proposal of Chen Zaoshu. His introduction to gardening is the first book in the series, which lays the foundation of Chinese gardening and makes gardening become an independent discipline and one of the world's science. This is the earliest monograph on gardening in modern China. Chinese gardening art has a long history and brilliant achievements. The earliest scientific argument to make a systematic exposition is Yuanye written by Wujiang Jicheng in the late Ming Dynasty. But the book was lost in Qing Dynasty. Chen Zhi saw it when he was studying in Japan. After many twists and turns, it was finally photocopied and published by China construction society in 1932. In order to make the past serve the present and prevent the loss of Chinese gardening art and experience, Chen Zhi began to annotate the book Yuanye since the 1950s. He also discussed with many famous scholars, such as Liu Dunzhen, Department of architecture, Nanjing Institute of technology, Liu Zhiping, Department of architecture, Tongji University, Chen Congzhou and Yang Chaobo, to supplement and revise the book Reflecting the characteristics of the book. In view of the fact that there are not many Chinese gardening monographs to learn from, besides Yuanye, he selected the book "chronicles of the long things" for proofreading and annotation. Since its publication in 1984, this book has been praised by Chinese and foreign scholars. Chen Zhi is usually very concerned about the national cultural relics, especially for China's long-standing gardening art. He not only wrote articles on it, but also suggested that the relevant units should carry out special protection. He began to systematically investigate the history of China's famous gardens in the 1950s, collecting pictures and records, and began to write two books, the records of China's famous gardens in all dynasties and the history of Chinese gardening. Up to 1981, more than 300000 words of important garden records have been collected. All the selected gardens are famous, recorded and still exist in real life, and have scientific discussions.

Award winning record

Chen Zhi is a senior in Chinese forestry circles and a pioneer of the young generation. He was commended by the Chinese agricultural society in 1984 and awarded the "50 years of forestry work Honor Award" by the Chinese forestry society in 1985. "Three thousand peaches and plums teach by themselves, but they still write in the spring and autumn of the nineties." this is a heartfelt congratulation to him and a true portrayal of his life.

Chinese PinYin : Chen Zhi