Opinion / Li Xing

Fabulous four, the guiding lights
By Li Xing (China Daily)
Updated: 2005-10-20 05:34

I have written and edited a number of obituaries over the past several
months.

The work has allowed me to dig into the lives of such personages as
sociologist Fei Xiaotong, journalist Israel Epstein, artist Qi Gong and
writer Ba Jin. The last died on Monday at the age of 101 in Shanghai.

Each of them pursued different careers and they had few chances to cross
each other’s paths.

However, they experienced the same political and social ups and downs but
maintained the same professional dedication and the same passion and
pursuit of truth or learning.

While studying the lives of ethnic minorities living in Guangxi, Fei
almost lost his life while scaling the mountains. That was in the 1930s,
when there were hardly any roads in the remote hilly regions.

Epstein, in the meantime, braved through battles in the frontline or
possible betrayals in the enemy’s rear to report the people’s war against
the Japanese invaders first-hand.

Ba Jin worked diligently with his pen, with every novel of his carrying
“my cry in my pursuit of light…”

Qi Gong, hard up as a result of poverty, worked doubly hard to be able to
delve into classical Chinese learning and to find his own artistic
expression.

They did not set out for fame.

And only through their devotion and hard work and even sacrifices, they
attained the high professional goals they set out in sociology,
journalism, classical Chinese scholarship and literature.

Meanwhile, each retained his own personal qualities.

Take Ba Jin for example. He was so sincere and so daring in speaking the
truth that his self-criticism and soul-searching about the “cultural
revolution” (1966-76) exerted far-reaching influence upon Chinese
intellectuals and the “conscience of the nation.”

That’s why they secured prominent places in the pantheon of modern China.

However, their achievements and academic and cultural values sadly are
highlighted only around the days of remembrance.

Then their stories, the historical events they experienced, are quickly
forgotten, or worse, buried. The public is bombarded with many more media
tales of “stars,” who achieve instant fame and money or who tumble off
from what the media assume to be their career zenith.

The media have made excuses for their enthusiasm to promote the rich and
instant achievers. One argument goes that the public needs such spicy
stories, and another avers that those stories sell better and attract
more advertisements.

It is true that life has improved dramatically for us Chinese. Fierce
market competition has forced many people to become more practical about
attaining their life’s goals. They need kaleidoscopic views of society to
lighten up their routine and relax.

But the media still have the responsibility to establish role models,
especially for the younger generations.

In a time of changes and a somewhat blind drive for modernization and
fashion, we are already losing many things intrinsic of the fine Chinese
culture and tradition.

The classical architecture and the old neighbourhoods are giving way to
so-called state-of-the-art structures or skyscrapers.

Professional integrity, scholarly honesty, artistic and literary
originality are also being violated as we hear about plagiarism, cheating
during examinations, fraudulent practices and piracy.

The media and the society as a whole have yet to help create a broader
social consensus that values scholarship and learning and honours
established professional ethics, truth and genuine innovation.

People must be forced to think hard before they cheat, plagiarize or fake.

Acts that damage or destroy historical monuments and cultural heritage -
including the tangible and intangible social fabric woven around them -
should be condemned.

Only by creating and enhancing such a social and cultural setting will we
and our posterity be able to carry forward the fine academic and
professional work as well as superb scholarship and literature
represented by the four great personages.

Email: lixing@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 10/20/2005 page4)

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