(Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan) Taiwan scholar Lu Zhenghui: Spend his life thinking about China and embracing China

Taipei, 30 May (Xinhua) -- "Under the pressure of the 'Taiwan independence faction,' I made up my mind to re-understand the China I love, and I spent more than 20 years studying hard, going to every corner of the mainland as much as possible, and moving from the China in books to the actual China." Taiwanese scholar Lu Zhenghui wrote a preface to his anthology at the age of 70, summarizing his journey.

Lv Zhenghui grew up in the coastal countryside of the Jianan Plain in Taiwan and is a native of southern Taiwan. Introverted by nature, he only likes to read, but the turmoil of the times makes this quiet Taiwanese intellectual break through the cramped island study and think about a more grand proposition - what is China? How to tell the real China?

Chinese Emotions

In an old neighborhood in Taipei's Wanhua District, Professor Lu Zhenghui, who has long retired, lives a fulfilling life of study. The living room was almost full of books except for ancestral tablets, sofas and hallways. The titles may seem mixed, but they have one center: a new understanding of China.

Throughout the afternoon, Professor Lu used Mandarin with a thick Hokkien accent to talk about his thoughts and sort out his Chinese emotions, Chinese historical views, and the formation of Chinese concepts.

In the sixth grade of elementary school, Lu Zhenghui left the southern countryside for Taipei. After junior high school, he favored geography and history, and before the teacher could teach it, he finished the textbook. In geography class, the teacher explained by province, and he liked to spread maps on the window pane, trace them on white paper, and carefully mark rivers and cities.

"Since then, I have been very familiar with the geography of China's mountains and rivers. My feelings for my country are depicted through maps after maps. Lu Zhenghui said.

When he was in high school, next door to the school was Guling Street, where used book stalls were concentrated, and he often went to "treasure hunting" to get acquainted with the past generations and become a Chinese history. He read a lot of Chinese history books and modern history materials, and studied a large number of ancient literature and history books in the Department of Chinese of National Taiwan University, and "naturally formed Chinese consciousness and Chinese feelings."

In 1971, the United Nations General Assembly adopted resolution 2758, deciding to restore the lawful seat of the People's Republic of China in the United Nations, and completely resolved the issue of the representation of all of China, including Taiwan, in the United Nations politically, legally and procedurally.

This incident deeply shocked Lu Zhenghui. That year, just after graduating from university, he realized that legally, China's sovereignty over Taiwan is clear, and since the People's Republic of China represents China, then of course Taiwan compatriots are also nationals of the People's Republic of China.

During Lu Zhenghui's student days, the Taiwan authorities' so-called "mainland compatriots" were abstract and needed to be "saved." After 1971, because he insisted on Chinese identity, he began to pay attention to the long-demonized and stereotyped mainland and mainland compatriots, and then reflected on the ideological framework of "pro-American and anti-communist" on the island at that time.

View of Chinese History

The long-accumulated Chinese sentiment made the young Lu Zhenghui naturally approach the position of the unification faction on the island. In the 80s of last century, some people began to openly advocate "Taiwan independence" on the island, which made him confused, bitter and even angry.

At that time, someone asked him "obviously a native of southern Taiwan, how can it be a reunification faction" and "China is so backward, why is it still Chinese" ... He lost some friends because of the argument.

In 1992, Lü Zhenghui resolutely joined the China Unification Alliance and retired from the position of head of the Chinese Department at Tsinghua University in Hsinchu. This is a statement of abandonment of the road of "fame" in the academic circles and a declaration of his determination to openly assert his Chinese identity.

"In order to be a good Chinese in Taiwan, where the idea of 'Taiwan independence' is on the rise, I must re-understand Chinese civilization and Western civilization, and joining the Unification Alliance is just the beginning." Lu Zhenghui said that the 90s of last century was the most serious period of his life. "I want to find my own place to live in a fighting room, read a group of books, reverie the past and future of Chinese culture, and face the noise of 'de-Sinicization' on the island of Taiwan."

He was inspired by the "old political prisoners" in the Unification League, and Mr. Chen Mingzhong had the greatest influence on him. Lu Zhenghui recalled that Mr. Chen came from a family of large landowners, was gifted and intelligent, and had always excelled in his studies; in Taiwan at that time, he could be engaged in politics or business, and could also become a university professor, but he joined the underground party of the CCP early, embarked on the road of revolution, died nine times in his life, and never regretted it.

These surviving underground CCP members made Lu Zhenghui think deeply about the question: "Why did China's revolution embark on the road of socialism?" He said that only when you believe that the revolution under the leadership of the Communist Party of China and the establishment of the People's Republic of China are the inevitable choice of modern China will you truly admit that you are Chinese.

"It was the hardest and most precious time of my life. The hardest, because there are not many people in Taiwan who think like me; Most precious, because I have figured out my own view of history. Lu Zhenghui said.

After the 80s of last century, Lu Zhenghui spent 20 years reading and thinking, completing self-transformation, and walking out of his own identity path. "I transformed into a real Chinese intellectual. I am proud of it and feel happy. He said.

The Chinese Idea

After the opening of cross-strait family visits in 1987, Lu Zhenghui was finally able to cross the strait and go to various parts of the mainland to gain a deeper understanding of the mountains and rivers of the motherland. "When I drew a map of China on the window glass in my early years, I never dreamed of this day. I finally walked out of the textbook China and into the vast land of Shenzhou, which is the China I have been thinking about since I was a child. He said.

Because of his personal observation of the mainland, Lu Zhenghui believes that his life after the age of 40 is far richer than in the first half of his life. "What I have walked, seen, and re-studied has greatly changed my view of China, and the structure of my knowledge about world civilization has changed greatly. As China continues to grow, my life is getting fuller. ”

Since entering the new century, Lu Zhenghui has seen more hope. The Beijing Olympic Games were held, the "Belt and Road" construction, poverty alleviation was completed... These major events confirmed to him that China's modernization project had gained a firm foothold and forged its own path; It is an obvious fact that the nation is moving towards rejuvenation.

Lu Zhenghui still looks to the past, to the depths of Chinese culture. He is convinced that the deep foundation of China's rejuvenation is inseparable from our excellent traditional culture; Almost all of our modern knowledge comes from the West, and it is no longer enough to see the changes in the world; We must have the wisdom and courage to learn new things from the past in order to be worthy of the big times in which we live.

Speaking of China, speaking of tradition, the 75-year-old is gushing and radiant, and despite suffering from illness and just after treatment, he said that he still has a wish to fulfill, which is to sort out the courseware and rediscover the deep reasons for the vitality of Chinese culture. For him, China is ancient and new.

Lu Zhenghui said that "China" as a concept contains a set of evocative values and practices, which can provide mankind with a new path of living and living with all things. This concept will certainly bring justice, peace and dignity to the region and provide a fundamental solution to the problems facing Taiwan.

Taiwan is facing a "critical moment of future and destiny", and Lu Zhenghui is eager to share his thoughts with more Taiwan compatriots so that everyone can see the real China again. "I, a native of Taiwan, always have to do something for my hometown." (End)