chinese academia, chinese communism, chinese history, cultural preservation, hong kong history, intellectual history, new asia college, qian mu, resistance to communism, traditional chinese culture

Qian Mu: Guardian of Chinese Tradition in the Shadow of Communism (Part 2)

In 1966, when Chairman Mao Zedong initiated the Cultural Revolution, China’s traditional culture faced an unprecedented crisis, with universities, middle schools, and primary schools in mainland China grinding to a halt. According to Hu Meiqi, the wife of the esteemed historian Qian Mu, he paced through the house night and day, silent, for one to ...

Mikel Davis

Old photo of Chinese historian, Qian Mu, dressed in scholarly robes.

Qian Mu: Guardian of Chinese Tradition in the Shadow of Communism (Part 1)

In 1949, as the Communist Party was poised to take control of mainland China, with the Nationalist government retreating to Taiwan, many influential intellectuals found themselves at a crossroads: to stay or to leave. The majority chose to remain, preparing to construct a “New China” with the Communist Party. Qian Mu, however, made a different ...

Mikel Davis

Illustration of Chinese scholar Qian Mu, wearing traditional clothing and glasses.