overcoming fate, not complaining about it, and creating her own destiny
This article was adapted and translated from the original post on the WeChat public account NEWS CHINA by Qiu Guangyu.
During the winter of 1907, a 17-year-old girl studying in Shanghai embarked on a 57-day journey along the Yangtze River. She covered a distance of over a thousand kilometers before finally returning to her home in Sichuan. Along the way, she faced many challenges such as climbing over cliffs, navigating through treacherous rapids, dealing with bullying shipowners, and defending herself in a small inn. Through these experiences, she gained confidence and fearlessness, which would become powerful tools in her future endeavors. With these qualities, she would go on to achieve great accomplishments that would be remembered in history.
A book titled A History of the West by Chen Hengzhe has recently received attention due to its reprint. The author, a young woman who drifted on a river a century ago, made significant contributions to history. First published in 1924, this book is a pioneering work on Western history by the Chinese and holds great importance. Chen Hengzhe's achievements, however, go beyond her writing. At the age of 34, she had already achieved several "firsts" in history: she was among the first group of female students selected by Tsinghua School after the examination, the first female master's degree holder in China, and the first female professor in modern Chinese history. Her strong friendship with her husband, Ren Hongjun, the founder of modern Chinese science, and Hu Shih, the flag-bearer of the New Culture Movement, is also well-known to the public.
Chen Hengzhe in her youth
Despite her impressive achievements, Chen Hengzhe's talent has been largely overlooked due to her untimely death in 1976. However, the extensive influence and numerous reprints of her book 'A History of the West' continue to remind readers of this remarkable woman. After learning about her story, one cannot help but marvel at her incredible energy, academic prowess, independent thinking, and ability to balance her career and family life while raising three accomplished children. It is truly inspiring to consider how she navigated these challenges during a time when enlightenment was just beginning to take hold.
Becoming a woman like Chen Hengzhe is no easy feat. It requires a person to follow her heart in every life choice, break unreasonable traditions, and constantly strive to create favorable conditions for herself. Even in this day and age, it is still a challenging task. Zhang Li, a professor at Beijing Normal University, aptly described Chen Hengzhe's life in her article "How High Can a Bird Fly to Be Truly Free" as "a lone example of the fate of a modern Chinese woman who lived as herself."
“the Woman Who Achieved the Firsts"
Chen Hengzhe's ability and charm could indeed transcend time. More than a hundred years ago, there were people who saw this power in Chen Hengzhe and were deeply attracted to her, one of them was Chen Hengzhe's husband, Ren Hongjun. 1915, Ren Hongjun, who was studying in the U.S. and editing “the Quarterly Bulletin for Students Studying in the U.S.”, was attracted by the writing style of a woman and learned that she was Chen Hengzhe, one of the first female students who had been awarded a scholarship to come to the U.S. through the examination of the Tsinghua School. The two began to become pen pals. In 1916, Hu Shih, who was also studying in the United States, began to correspond with Chen Hengzhe. Chen Hengzhe supported Hu Shih's new ideas in favor of the vernacular language, which pleased Hu Shih so much that they became pen pals who talked about everything and met under the introduction of Ren Hongjun.
Ren Hongjun and Chen Hengzhe on their engagement day with Hu Shih, taken in Nanjing on August 22, 1920
During the eve of the literary revolution, Hu Shih attempted to promote the replacement of classical Chinese with vernacular writing. Unfortunately, he did not receive support from his peers. Even his close friend, Ren Hongjun, opposed his idea. Although Chen Hengzhe did not engage in the argument, she showed support for Hu Shih's concept and began to write in the vernacular herself. This came as a surprise to Hu Shih.
Chen Hengzhe's vernacular novel One Day was published in 1917 in the Quarterly Bulletin of Students Studying in the U.S. Although the writing style of the article was a bit stiff, and later scholars did not consider it as the first vernacular novel in modern history, Chen Hengzhe became the first female author of a vernacular novel. The publication of One Day holds a unique significance in literary history as it appeared one year earlier than the academically recognized first truly vernacular novel, Diary of a Madman. This incident highlights Chen Hengzhe's boldness and showcases her contribution to literature.
Chen Hengzhe, an intelligent and elegant woman, became an important writer in the New Culture Movement with the help and encouragement of her close friends. She continued to publish new poems and vernacular works in the magazine New Youth after 1918, which was rare for women at that time. Her innovative ideas and literary excellence earned her the respect of many male scholars in the academic world. Ren Hongjun praised her writings, saying, "Her literary excellence is not rare at home, but especially rare among female students abroad." Hu Shih also spoke highly of her ideas and writing, calling her "one of the earliest comrades".
Chen Hengzhe obtained a master's degree from the University of Chicago in 1920. After her graduation, she returned to China and was appointed as a professor by Cai Yuanpei, the president of Peking University, becoming the first female professor in China. This was a significant achievement for women in Chinese academia. Around the same time, she got married to her best friend, Ren Hongjun. Chen Hengzhe had always been against arranged marriages and had insisted on celibacy. However, Ren Hongjun's unrelenting pursuit of her and their shared ideals and academic interests eventually won her over.
Throughout their relationship, Chen Hengzhe's friendship with Hu Shih and Ren Hongjun grew stronger. Initially, Ren Hongjun did not support Hu Shih's use of the vernacular language, but their relationship remained unaffected and they were still able to communicate with each other. Hu Shih and Chen Hengzhe corresponded frequently, discussing literature and academics. Their friendship was so close that later generations speculated that Chen Hengzhe was Hu Shi's romantic partner, a woman who loved but could not be loved in return. However, there is no concrete evidence to support these rumors. The main reason for such gossip was that people's minds, at that time, were still trapped in obscurantism, and they did not believe that a pure friendship could exist between men and women.
During the time when the Republic of China was newly founded, Chen Hengzhe had already undergone a complete transformation into a modern Chinese woman. While most women of that time were restricted to living according to the wishes of their parents or husband's family, she became a pioneer of the new cultural movement and the first female academician. She had the courage to choose a non-marital lifestyle, and was also able to marry her best friend, whom she had known for many years, through determined free love. When Ren Hongjun and Chen Hengzhe got married, Hu Shih, on the other hand, expressed his happiness and wrote fondly in his poem "We Three Friends", "This scene has no equal, and this day is most unforgettable, - let my new poem wish you both a long life!"
Zhang Li, a professor at Beijing Normal University, shared his thoughts on Chen Hengzhe, stating that a girl born in the late Qing Dynasty faced many fateful choices in her life. For instance, whether or not to have her feet bound, whether or not to attend school, and whether or not to marry according to her parents' wishes. Despite these challenges, Chen Hengzhe demonstrated remarkable intelligence and maturity from a young age, enabling her to make her own decisions. Each of her choices was a step towards progress, which ultimately led her to achieve great academic success and astonishing personal growth.
Chen Hengzhe's achievements are a result of her own hard work and the support of her family. She was born into an old-fashioned family in Changzhou, Jiangsu Province, where her father had planned her future - a few years of study at home and then an early marriage to becoming an "official's wife". Chen Hengzhe, however, did not want to follow this path. Her encounters with her third uncle and aunt were life-changing experiences that provided her with new ideas and spiritual liberation. In a memorial article, Chen Hengzhe expressed her gratitude towards these two relatives who transformed her and allowed her personality to flourish.
When Chen Hengzhe was a young girl, her uncle, Zhuang Yunkuan, played a significant role in shaping her life. During the late Qing Dynasty, Zhuang Yunkuan was tasked with establishing new schools in Guangxi and Guangdong, where he encountered many foreigners and foreign ideas. He was one of the most open-minded Chinese individuals at that time. Recognizing Chen Hengzhe’s intelligence and inquisitive nature, Zhuang Yunkuan suggested that she come with him to study in Guangdong. However, Chen Hengzhe’s father strongly opposed this idea. At the age of 13, Chen Hengzhe made the bold decision to leave her family in Jiangsu and move to Guangzhou to live with Zhuang Yunkuan. She patiently waited for the opportunity to attend school, taking advantage of her family's move to Sichuan. This decision marked the beginning of a new chapter in her life.
The road to school was not so smooth. Because Chen Hengzhe was far too young to enter medical school, she was unable to do so. Nearly a year later, Zhuang Yunkuan was unable to resist Chen Hengzhe's repeated pleas and sent her to Shanghai alone. Chen was introduced to the Shanghai Chung Ying Women's Medical School by a relative. She soon found out that the teaching in this medical school was not formalized, and during her internship, she saw her first difficult births and dead babies, and those horrible scenes haunted her like a nightmare. Even so, in order not to go home and marry, she insisted on staying here for three years, enduring the loneliness and the courses she didn't like. She always remembered what her third uncle had told her, that he wanted her to be strong and patient like an adult, to cry less and be less impulsive. It wasn't until she was seventeen, when her father ordered her to return home to discuss her engagement, that she embarked on that unforgettable, journey up the Yangtze River, returning to her home in Sichuan after many days of difficult travel.
As a young girl, Chen Hengzhe embarked on some incredible adventures. It's worth noting that she was born into a solid and wealthy family and had never experienced any material suffering, which made her grueling journey all the more difficult. Despite facing hardships for the first time, Chen Hengzhe chose to endure and deal with everything alone. During the journey, she mostly relied on the comfort of books to cope and did not feel too bad psychologically. This experience also cemented her desire to leave her family and continue traveling in the future. She firmly declined her father's offer of marriage and left home about a year later to return to medical school in Shanghai.
At a critical turning point in her life, Chen Hengzhe encountered her aunt, who became an important figure in her life. Shortly thereafter, Chen Hengzhe departed Shanghai to reside with her aunt in Changshu, Jiangsu Province. Her aunt, who had been well-educated and ambitious in her youth but had been sidetracked by family matters for years, cherished Chen Hengzhe, who could connect with her on a spiritual level. Over the years, they recited poetry and read books together. Her aunt even aided her in finding work as a governess, allowing her to support herself and earn a living.
In 1914, the Tsinghua School opened its doors to female students from all over the country. The examination center was located in Shanghai. Chen Hengzhe saw this as an opportunity, but she hesitated to apply because she was worried that her English skills were not good enough, and that her father would not approve. Her aunt encouraged her to take the exam, and as a result, Chen Hengzhe ranked second among ten applicants and was granted a scholarship to study in the United States at her own expense.
Afterward, Chen Hengzhe embarked on another journey, this time boarding a steamship headed for the United States. Having lived a full life already, the slightly older woman didn't worry about the dangers of living abroad and felt quite calm. Sensitive and intelligent, she seemed to have an intuition that, through her own efforts, she could finally break free from her father's constraints and find the freedom of career, friendship, and love on the other side of the ocean. The people she was most reluctant to leave and most grateful to in China were not even her own parents, but her aunt and third uncle, the two leaders. Since then, she has held onto the words of wisdom her third uncle shared with her:
Don't worry about your life, don't complain about your life, but "make a life" for yourself.
A Life of Unyielding Righteousness.
For about ten years now, Ren Erning, the nephew of Chen Hengzhe, visited her family in Shanghai every year. However, she was no longer the radiant and talented woman of a famous family. Instead, she was an aging relative who needed his help and care. When Ren Erning met her, Chen Hengzhe's eyes were almost blind, and she rarely went out due to her illness. Nevertheless, her illness helped her escape some of the chaos of the special period. In Ren Erning's mind, Chen was still a very rich personality. He remembers what she once said - "history always has its own rules." She had always believed that this period would be short-lived. These wise and rational words had always echoed in Ren Erning's mind.
Chen Hengzhe would often reminisce with Ren Erning about her husband, Ren Hongjun. According to Ren Erning, the couple never had any conflicts and always had a good relationship. In fact, Erning once mentioned in his reminiscences that in Chen's heart, Hongjun was "perfect". It seems that the idealistic marriage between Chen Hengzhe and Ren Hongjun was quite successful. Several years ago, Chen Hengzhe wrote in a letter to her friends and relatives that Ren Hongjun believed she had some literary genius and wanted to prepare a clean and comfortable home for her. Despite the reality of the situation and the possibility of achieving this goal, Chen Hengzhe and Ren Hongjun knew that their efforts would always be in the same direction, which could be the reason for their successful marriage.
Ren Hongjun and Chen Hengzhe with children in their Beijing apartment, 1929.
Ren Hongjun, the patriarch of the Xinhai Revolution and an important educator in the Republic of China period, was a man of his word. In 1935, Chen Hengzhe was appointed as a professor at the University of Sichuan, and Ren Hongjun was appointed as its president. They both moved to Chengdu for their respective roles. However, Chen Hengzhe's straightforward personality caused her some trouble. She expressed her dissatisfaction with local customs such as opium smoking and concubinage in a series of articles called "Sichuan Travels", which attracted negative attention from locals. As a result, she resigned angrily. Despite the discouragement of his old friend Hu Shih, Ren Hongjun also left Sichuan University with his wife.
Chen Hengzhe was known for her direct speech and behavior, which made some people think of her as a prickly personality who was not to be messed with. However, she was also capable of displaying a gentle demeanor. During her time in Beijing, she organized tea party events for young women to promote communication among them. Similarly, when she was in Sichuan, many young women approached her for advice on life issues, and she never refused to help.
In her book, "A History of the West," she advocated that people should pay attention to women's history and the promotion of equality between men and women during the Industrial Revolution. She also wrote a large portion of her articles published in the Independent Review on women, child-rearing, and other issues. Thus, she became one of the first scholars to speak out for women's issues in China.
In her later years, Chen Hengzhe's great ambitions had to be put aside. Unfortunately, her husband Ren Hongjun died in 1961, and the news of her dear friend Hu Shi's death came from the other side of the Taiwan Strait in 1962. With fewer and fewer friends and a weakening body, Chen Hengzhe began to learn to live quietly in this world. She would turn on the radio every day and listen to the weather forecast to feel the rain and shine of the outside world. Sometimes, when the mood struck her, she would recite her favorite Tang poems to the younger generation. She once asked Ren Erning to buy her hot chicken buns every day and eat them with her. She told Ren Erning that her love for these buns was cultivated when Qian Zhongshu and Yang Jiang visited. At that time, Mr. and Mrs. Qian and Yang, she and Ren Hongjun, and Hu Shih, the five of them used to get together at home and talk about the world quite happily.
As Chen Hengzhe grew older and her eye problems worsened, she relied on her other senses and memories to navigate through life. Even in her fading memory, she could still recall the thrill of rafting down the Yangtze River years ago and the satisfaction of standing up against bullies. It was as if she were rewriting the script of her life, creating a new and more fulfilling story. From that moment on, she knew she could face any challenge with confidence and courage. Looking back on her life, she could proudly say that she had become the "life-maker" her uncle once expected her as.
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