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Born in pre-1949 - Zhang Renying, 99
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In August, at age 99, sociologist Zhang Renying published a three-part reference book about Chinese civilization. Next year, he plans to publish a dictionary for young people on Chinese cultural studies.
The almost centenarian, who was also one of the principal sociology contributors to China’s encyclopedia, retired as a professor from East China University of Political Science and Law when he was 82.
Retirement didn’t mean idleness. Zhang’s daily schedule is every bit as busy as it ever was. He practices calligraphy, reads, writes, give occasional lectures and travels.
At age 97, he took an extended trip to Chengdu, capital city of Sichuan Province, and wrote about his cultural discoveries there.
“People always ask me how I have managed to live for so long,” Zhang says. “Do I have secrets for longevity? That isn’t the right question. Staying healthy and living long aren’t a result. They are only the means by which we can continue to contribute to a larger cause.”
Zhang says he has no particular secret for healthy living.
“I didn’t design my life so that I could live for 100 years,” he says. “I lived long because I always cared, I always became engaged and I always had dreams.”
Born in 1914, Zhang grew up when China was at its weakest, beaten by foreign troops and forced into signing unfair treaties. He was only five when the anti-imperialist May Fourth Movement occurred, but the student movement cast a large influence over him.
“When I was a teenager, my dream was one for liberty and for a stronger country rid of imperialist control,” he recalls.
“Now, my dream is to popularize Chinese cultural studies among the young generation,” he says. “That is why I have been working on these books, to encapsulate the essence of Chinese civilization in a way that appeals to young people.”
His eyes twinkle from a wrinkled face. They are the sharp, discerning eyes of one much younger, especially when Zhang talks about his unfinished business. It is hard to tell that he was released from hospital only a few weeks ago after suffering a prolonged cold.
There are no nutrition pills or exercise equipment in Zhang’s home. His longevity, he says, comes from a full and busy schedule and from a mind in harmony with classic Chinese philosophy.
“Life has its natural cycle. You are born and you will die. Time elapses before you notice,” he says, citing the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907) poet Meng Haoran. “I have learned the doctrines of mean and inaction to obtain inner peace.”
The Chinese philosophy of mean and equilibrium, proposed by Confucius (551-479 BC), and inaction, promoted by Lao-tzu in the 6th century BC, both espouse the idea of harmony with natural forces.
The notion of guo xue (¹úѧ), or Chinese cultural studies, has changed as the society developed, Zhang says. In the early 20th century, the term was invented as an antithesis to Western studies, which at the time dwelled on the modern, scientific and democratic. Chinese studies implied everything the opposite and was degraded by society and its intellectuals, who were searching for more pragmatic ways to save the country.
“Guo xue is not exactly the equivalent of Chinese culture,” Zhang says. “It needs a new connotation in the 21st century. It has to become a comprehensive subject that integrates past and present Chinese society and culture. It needs to be explored and re-invented.”
To that end, at age 92, Zhang founded the New Century Chinese Cultural Studies Salon and a published a seasonal journal summarizing academic discussions at the salon.
“I never think about how many years I will live,” he says. “I will just keep reading, writing and pondering.”
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