PROLOGUE

Jin Deshui Wu Zhaohui

A Pictorial History of Zhejiang University is published when Zhejiang University (ZJU) is celebrating the 120thanniversary. It is of far-reaching significance to review past glory and we dedicate the book as a gift to inherit ZJU's culture and enlighten later generations.

There stands a national university by River Qiantang. As a new-style institution of higher learning founded for national strength and reform, ZJU has long been cherishing the ideal of rejuvenating the Chinese nation; therefore, with the fine tradition of seeking truth and pursuing innovation, it rose in the flames of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and finally scored fruitful achievements and formed distinctive characteristics after arduous efforts in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, with the picturesque scenery of the south of the Changjiang River and in the nourishment of Chinese culture by serving national construction, making leaps after the merging of four major universities and progressing to be one of the top in the world. In its 120-year history, there emerged a galaxy of outstanding scientists, e.g. Chu Kochen, Su Buqing, Bei Shizhang, Wang Ganchang, Tan Jiazhen, Qian Sanqiang, Ye Duzheng, Xu Guangxian, Gu Chaohao, Cheng Kaijia and Tsung-Dao Lee as well as a number of high-profile cultural figures, Ma Yifu, Zheng Xiaocang, Feng Zikai, Xia Chengtao, Sha Menghai, Xia Yan, Jiang Liangfu and Chang Shuhong, to name just a few. Besides, among its 600,000-odd alumni all over the world currently are more than 200 academicians of Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Academy of Engineering; five winners of Top National Science and Technology Awards, four national Meritorious Service Medalists of “Nuclear Bombs, Missiles and Man-made Satellites”, one winner of Nobel Prize in Physics, all making due contributions to human progress and national rejuvenation.

Carrying the torch to continue the vein of scholarship. The university quintessence“Embracing Diversity”, “Honoring Virtue and Truth”, “Exploring the Universe”, and“Bettering the World” is established as ZJUers, generation after generation, uphold the principles of diligence, virtue, wisdom and honesty based on the truth. In recent years, with a vision of a world-class university in a realistic vanguard mentality, ZJU is keeping a strong momentum by cultivating modern top talents, scaling discipline summits, forging research plateau, attracting famous teachers and experts, accumulating cultural richness and exploring brilliant reform strategies. In addition, before the Teachers' Day in 2015, General Secretary Xi Jinping conveyed his greetings to the teachers of Zhejiang University in a letter from the General Office of the CPC Central Committee that “The teachers of Zhejiang University have cultivated a large number of personnel for the CPC and China with firm belief, high morality and professionalism. In order to realize the two centenary goals and to achieve the Chinese dream of rejuvenating the nation, a large number of teachers loyal to the education undertaking of the CPC are needed to cultivate and bring up a continuous flow of qualified constructors and reliable successors to socialist construction. It is hoped that Zhejiang University marches in the forefront in this regard.”

Zhejiang University is now marching to be one of the top-class universities in the world with distinctive education on innovation and entrepreneurship, cutting-edge scientific achievements, ever-shining layout of top disciplines, open and sharing cooperative network, in-depth cooperation with world famous universities; thus, a future-oriented strategic pattern is being formed with seven campuses, high-ranking comprehensive strength and the fame as one of the top 100 world universities.

History unfolds the unremitting efforts of students and teachers on a magnificent scale. Quintessence tempers the strength and character of ZJUers in the vicissitudes of a century and more.A Pictorial History of Zhejiang University,with valuable historical materials, shows the truth-seeking benevolence and altruism of ZJUers one generation after another, who exercised their affection of rejuvenating China into industrious working in Qiushi Academy, in long westward migration full of trials and tribulations, in vast land of Chinese nation, in ceaseless pursuit of excellence and finally into unforgettable memories across time and space. In a word, the motto of seeking truth and pursuing innovation and the quintessence will be more vivid and thriving with the passage of time.

Let us review the history to experience the vicissitudes and leaps of Chinese education and sense the strength and vitality of cultural contexts. Then, by inheriting the glory and vision of 120 years, staying true to the mission and standing at the forefront of times, ZJU will make greater contributions to become a world-class university with Chinese characteristics and to realize the great Chinese dream of national rejuvenation and boost human progress.