Chen Yinke was one of the four great mentors of the Institute of Chinese Studies at Tsinghua University during the Republic of China era. He took on this prestigious role at the age of just 36. Born into an influential family, his grandfather, Chen Baozhen, once served as the governor of Hunan, while his father, Chen Sanli, was a renowned poet and one of the “Four Gentlemen of the Late Qing Dynasty.” His wife, Tang Yun, was the granddaughter of Tang Jingsong, a former governor of Taiwan.
Chen Yinke spent 13 years studying abroad in Japan, Germany, the United States, and Switzerland, where he learned from top scholars and gained expertise in both Chinese and Western disciplines. Fluent in eight languages, he was often referred to as a “walking encyclopedia” and admired as the “scholar among scholars, the professor among professors.” His lectures at Tsinghua were attended not only by students, but also by fellow professors eager to learn from him. Many of his students at the Institute of Chinese Studies went on to become prominent scholars in their own right.
A steadfast commitment to academic independence
After the tragic suicide of fellow scholar Wang Guowei, Chen Yinke inscribed an epitaph in his honor, in which he articulated his own academic principles: “The spirit of independence and the freedom of thought.” He firmly believed that without intellectual freedom, life was meaningless.
In December 1948, as the Chinese Civil War neared its conclusion, the Nationalist government sought to relocate top scholars to Taiwan under its “emergency evacuation plan.” Chen Yinke, along with Hu Shi and others, was among those slated for relocation. However, he ultimately decided to stay, choosing to return to Guangzhou to teach.
By 1953, the new regime had established a historical research committee and sought to appoint Chen to a related position. To persuade him, his former student, Peking University professor Wang Jian, traveled to Guangzhou with a handwritten letter from Guo Moruo, a high-ranking communist official. Yet Chen Yinke refused without hesitation, stating: “One cannot begin with ideological conclusions and then conduct academic research.”
He was even more resolute when addressing Wang Jian, who had by then joined the Communist Party. Chen declared: “The students I mentor must uphold independent thinking and intellectual freedom. If they do not, they are not my students. I do not know whether you shared my views in the past, but now we are no longer the same — you are no longer my student.”
Persecution under political campaigns
Chen Yinke’s refusal to conform to the prevailing ideology came at a heavy cost. In 1958, during the Anti-Rightist Campaign, Guo Moruo publicly denounced him as a “reactionary academic authority.” By this time, Chen had already lost his eyesight and could no longer walk, yet he was still subjected to relentless political persecution.
Despite repeatedly submitting written self-criticisms, in which he explained: “I have never done anything harmful to Chinese people in my life. I have been a teacher for 40 years, only doing teaching and writing, but nothing practical (for Kuomintang),” he could not escape his fate. His research assistants were dismissed, his nurse was removed, his salary was cut off, and his bank accounts were frozen. His home was plastered with political slogans, covering everything from the doors and wardrobe to his bed and even his clothing.
Suffering during the Cultural Revolution
With the onset of the Cultural Revolution in 1965, his former student Wang Jian was denounced for his past association with Chen Yinke. Unable to withstand the persecution, Wang eventually took his own life. This news devastated Chen, and his health deteriorated rapidly.
His wife, Tang Yun, did everything she could to protect him, but Red Guards repeatedly beat her. The Red Guards placed a loudspeaker directly behind his home in a particularly cruel act. The constant blaring of propaganda broadcasts caused the ailing Chen such distress that he would involuntarily wet himself upon hearing the noise. Yet even this was not enough for his tormentors — they later tied the loudspeaker directly to his bedpost.
A tragic end to a brilliant mind
By 1969, suffering from malnutrition and unable to eat, Chen Yinke passed away in agony. With his death, China lost a towering figure in the field of historical and classical studies. His unwavering dedication to academic independence and intellectual freedom had cost him everything, but his legacy remains an inspiration to all who value the pursuit of truth.
Translated by Chua BC
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