Introduction to the Present Situation of Zhan Tianyou's Descendants

Introduction to the Present Situation of Zhan Tianyou's Descendants

On April 26th, 20 1 1, a white-haired old man came to the exhibition hall of Zhan Tianyou's former residence, donated precious photos of Mr. Zhan Tianyou before his death, and personally told the story of Mr. Zhan Tianyou, the founder of China railway industry, and all the staff present were moved.

Photo of Zhan Tianyou's grandson Zhan Tongji

The old man's name is Zhan Tongji, and he is the direct grandson of Mr. Zhan Tianyou. Coincidentally, Zhan Lao, like his grandfather, is also fascinated by railway engineering. As a senior civil engineer in New China, he worked as a technical and secretarial worker in the Railway Engineering Bureau and the Ministry of Railways.

When I was a child, Zhan Lao heard a lot from his father about his grandfather studying abroad and presiding over the construction of the Beijing-Zhangjiakou Railway after returning home. In his memory, his grandfather's deeds are as legendary as China's ever-changing railway industry.

1934, 4-year-old Zhan Tongji took the train with his father to Qinglongqiao Railway Station for the first time to participate in activities commemorating the 25th anniversary of grandpa Zhan Tianyou's death. This unforgettable historical moment was captured by the photographer and fixed into a permanent memory.

Since 1970s, Zhan Lao has been the editor-in-chief of the Ministry of Railways Press, and has been engaged in dictionary editing for a long time, translating and editing a large number of Zhan Tianyou's diaries and letters. In 1980s, the Zhan Tianyou Memorial Hall was established by the Ministry of Railways, with Zhan Tongji as the head of historical materials in the preparatory office. After the completion of the memorial hall, he served as the first curator and honorary curator of the memorial hall and devoted himself to the translation and compilation of historical materials until his retirement.

As a descendant of Zhan Tianyou, Zhan Tongji spent the second half of his life translating and studying Zhan Tianyou's historical materials, and successively wrote many works, such as Selected Letters from Zhan Tianyou's Diary, Zhan Tianyou's Life-Zhan Tianyou and China Railway and Engineering Construction, Zhan Tianyou Photo Handwriting Story, Zhan Gongtianyou and Beijing-Zhangjia Railway Document Archives, which left valuable information for future generations to understand Zhan Tianyou's deeds before his death.

Appreciation of the composition standing in front of the bronze statue of Zhan Tianyou

1934, 4-year-old Zhan Tongji went to Zhan Tianyou at Qinglongqiao Railway Station with his father for the first time. This bronze statue stood in front of Qinglongqiao Railway Station when attending the 25th anniversary of his grandfather Zhan Tianyou's death. The dark bronze statue, with a delicate face, resembles the resolute face of the famous patriotic engineer Mr. Zhan Tianyou.

Zhan Tianyou bronze statue photo.

More than 70 years later, the old man Zhan Tongji looked at the old photos of that year and couldn't help feeling: "The bronze statue is still there, but I am probably the only one who is still alive on it."

Time flies, the child of that year has become an old man after years of wind and frost. Now I am revisiting my hometown, standing in front of the bronze statue of Zhan Tianyou in Qinglong Bridge, thinking about the pioneer who laid the foundation of modern railway engineering in China a century ago, and my heart is still filled with a long-lasting emotion.

Zhan Tianyou was not only an expert in railway engineering in China in the late Qing Dynasty and modern times, but also the earliest outstanding expert in railway engineering in China. 188 1 year, among the overseas students who returned from the Westernization Movement, only two people got a bachelor's degree from Yale University, and he was one of them.

After returning to China, Zhan Tianyou devoted himself to applying what he had learned and serving the motherland with his professional skills. However, in the decadent and backward old China, due to the strong opposition of the feudal diehard forces in the Qing Dynasty to railway construction, heroes were useless.

During his eight years as a teacher in Guangdong erudite museum, Zhan Tianyou worked hard to deal with the dignitaries of the Qing Dynasty and worked hard for the construction of the Beijing-Zhangjiakou Railway. 1904, the Qing dynasty finally ruled out the pressure from all sides at home and abroad and approved the construction of the Beijing-Zhangjiakou Railway. After four years of wind, frost, rain and snow, the Beijing-Zhangjiakou Railway was finally fully opened to traffic in June 1909+00.

19 19, the great man who created the modern miracle of China passed away. Engineers from China built a bronze statue for Zhan Tianyou, the first president of Qinglong Bridge Station Society, so that future generations will always remember this outstanding patriotic railway engineer!

What is the spirit of Zhan Tianyou, the father of Chinese railways?

He is a brief introduction of Zhan Tianyou, a national hero who paved the railway artery on the land of China, and a pioneer in science and technology who has worked hard to build the Great Wall of Life! Premier Zhou Enlai once spoke highly of him as "the greatest honor for the people of China in the history of modern China". Although the wheel of time has passed a long century, his name still shines forever in the vast history. He is Zhan Tianyou, a great China engineer who stood up in the darkest historical period of the Chinese nation and made pretentious westerners lower their arrogant heads!

Zhan Tianyou oil painting

1September, 904, when the Qing Dynasty * * * announced the formal construction of the Beijing-Zhangjiakou Railway under the pressure of the great powers, it attracted cynicism from the British. The western world is full of arrogance and prejudice, saying that China engineers who can independently design and build the Beijing-Zhangjiakou Railway have not yet been born. Faced with these malicious and slanderous public opinions, Zhan Tianyou retorted that China engineers who can repair this railway have not only been born, but also have been born in the present age.

For more than four years, Zhan Tianyou led the engineering team to climb mountains, survey and dig pits, and finally completed this world-famous railway construction project with superb technology and talent!

1909, a loud whistle sounded, marking the official opening of the Beijing-Zhangjiakou Railway. There was a deafening cheer on the land of China ravaged by foreign powers. At that moment, the whole world paid attention.

Zhan Tianyou finally revealed a gratified smile on his face. He knows that in the past four years, countless sleepless days and nights, persecuted by foreign powers, oppressed by powerful people, and the death of relatives, are all worthwhile when this day comes. ...

Zhan Tianyou's patriotic spirit of loyalty to faith, selflessness and fearlessness was a great inspiration to the suffering people of China at that time. History will eventually prove that the Chinese nation will unswervingly follow the road of strengthening the country through science and technology and will surely usher in a great moment of national rejuvenation!