On February 28, 2013, the farewell ceremony of the body of Zhuang Zedong, a hero of ping-pong diplomacy, was held in Beijing.
At the farewell ceremony of the men's singles champion of the three consecutive World Table Tennis Championships, his ex-wife and current wife gathered, surrounded by nearly 100 relatives, friends and friends, all remembering the great achievements of his life.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="5" > the first and third consecutive World Table Tennis Championships and the cornerstone of "table tennis diplomacy"</h1>
Zhuang Zedong was born in 1940 in Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province. At the age of fourteen, Zhuang Zedong joined the table tennis team of the Children's Palace Amateur Sports School in Beijing, and immediately showed amazing talent for table tennis.
In 1957, Zhuang Zedong participated in the National Table Tennis Championships for the first time, and at the age of 17, he won the table tennis mixed doubles championship and was immediately selected for the national youth table tennis team.
From 1961 to 1965, Zhuang Zedong won three consecutive men's singles championships from the 26th to the 28th World Table Tennis Championships, and also won the men's doubles and men's team championships at the 28th World Table Tennis Championships in 1965.
These dazzling resumes represent Zhuang Zedong's legendary athlete career. However, Zhuang Zedong's contribution to China is not only that, he has also directly contributed to the ping-pong diplomacy between China and the United States.
In 1971, Nagoya, Japan, hosted the 31st World Table Tennis Championships. Before the game, the Chinese team gathered to prepare to go to the competition venue to adapt to the venue.
However, unexpectedly, after the American athlete Cohen mistakenly got on the Chinese team shuttle and found that the car was sitting on the Chinese, Cohen stood awkwardly in the door of the car, overwhelmed.
At this time, Zhuang Zedong took the initiative to shake hands with Cohen, welcomed him, and then took out a Hangzhou brocade from his bag and gave it to Cohen.
Cohen bought a sweatshirt and gave it to Zhuang Zedong to thank him for the previous Hangzhou brocade. The friendly interaction between Chinese and American athletes has become the hottest news at the Nagoya World Table Tennis Championships, which has attracted the attention of the world.
Subsequently, the U.S. table tennis team proposed to visit China, and China's sports bureau and diplomatic embassies did not dare to decide, so they reported it to Premier Zhou Enlai, who informed Chairman Mao of the application of the U.S. table tennis team. When Chairman Mao learned of this, he immediately made a decision and immediately invited the American table tennis team to visit China.
In 1972, US President Richard Nixon was invited to visit China, ending more than two decades of isolation and marking the beginning of a new era in Sino-US relations.
Zhuang Zedong, a hero of "ping-pong diplomacy," was praised by Chairman Mao: "Not only do you play well, but you can also do diplomacy, and this man has a bit of a political mind."
Zhuang Zedong maintained a sober mind for the praise that came to him, and Zhuang Zedong believed that the time was ripe for the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the United States, which was an inevitable condition of history, and he was just a chess piece that fell by chance.
But Zhuang Zedong said that he felt very honored to be able to become an ice-breaking pawn, which is not only his honor, but also the honor of Chinese table tennis.
But becoming a pawn in the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the United States and sending the first signal of friendship carries great risks.
According to the recollections of Zhuang Zedong's son Zhuang Biao, the embassy in Japan at that time had characterized his father's friendly behavior as a diplomatic incident, and was asking his superiors for instructions on whether to immediately send Zhuang Zedong back to China and pursue his diplomatic responsibility.
Recalling that past, Zhuang Biao did not sigh much, "My father was either a hero or a prisoner at that time, and if Sino-US relations were not good, he would definitely go to prison." ”
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="9" > two years of political career, bid farewell to all political activities</h1>
In 1972, after Zhuang Zedong returned to China after visiting the United States, he was sent to the Central Reading Class to study, and then returned to the Sports Committee and became a reserve cadre. In 1974, Zhuang Zedong became the director of the National Sports Commission, and began his short political career.
Looking back, in the two years of his tenure, he did not beat a single person, nor did he target any cadres.
In October 1976, Zhuang Zedong became an ordinary citizen through and out, and has since bid farewell to political activities.
In 1984, Zhuang Zedong returned to Beijing to teach at the Municipal Children's Palace and became an ordinary table tennis coach.
In 2002, Zhuang Zedong set up a table tennis club, and on the eve of the opening ceremony, his son Zhuang Biao proposed that his father's comrades-in-arms could be invited to cut the ribbon at the opening ceremony.
Zhuang Zedong was silent for a long time, recalling the enmity and resentment of so many years, and felt that it was time to end. He wrote a letter to the leaders of Xu Yinsheng and Li Furong, and at the end of the letter, Zhuang Zedong said that he hoped to end the estrangement between the three people in the last century.
On December 20, 2002, Xu Yinsheng and Li Furong attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony of Zhuang Zedong Table Tennis Club, and Zhuang Biao came back and recalled that this was a knot in his father's heart.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="11" > three, suffering from cancer for five years, accompanied by relatives and friends when he died</h1>
In 2008, Zhuang Zedong was diagnosed with advanced cancer. In general, advanced cancers have a survival period of only 1-2 years at most, but because Zhuang Zedong has always maintained a positive treatment attitude and an optimistic spirit, his condition deteriorated more slowly, and after four years, Zhuang Zedong was transferred to Beijing You'an Hospital for treatment.
On February 4, 2013, Zhuang Zedong's condition deteriorated, but he remained calm: "I want to be happy with life and death. ”
On the same day, Zhuang Zedong said that he most wanted to call two people, the literary master Wen Huaisha and the Chinese painting master Fan Zeng, both of whom were zhuang Zedong's old friends.
Wen Huaisha has a special significance for Zhuang Zedong, who is suffering from cancer. Zhuang Zedong described Wen Huaisha as follows: "Elder Wen is the most clear, thorough, and understanding of life and death among the scholars I have met in my life. ”
In the past few years when Zhuang Zedong was fighting cancer, Zhuang Zedong repeatedly asked Wen Huaisha for advice on the meaning of life. Under the enlightenment of Wen Huaisha, Zhuang Zedong learned "how to treat life and death correctly."
Zhuang Zedong described his state of mind to reporters: "One day death is coming, and I will also welcome the new life and disappearance with happy feelings." ”
In Zhuang Zedong's hospital room, there was always a book by Huaisha, in which he wrote a sentence that he most appreciated: "The highest learning of mankind: modesty and shamelessness, kindness and piety." ”
This literary master spoke highly of Zhuang Zedong as an elite and a great talent in China.
Another old friend that Zhuang Zedong wanted to call was Fan Zeng, who was Zhuang Zedong's teacher in calligraphy, and the two were also teachers and friends, admiring each other and learning from each other. Under the guidance of Fan Zeng, Zhuang Zedong's calligraphy level is getting longer and longer, which is quite stylish.
In 2011, Zhuang Zedong also held his own solo calligraphy exhibition at the National Art Museum of China, the theme of which was "The Motherland is in My Heart".
In order to express his support for Zhuang Zedong, Fan Zeng personally came to the National Art Museum of China to support it, and wrote an inscription for this study exhibition " Silver Ball Shadow Affair Zhuang Zedong Hanmo Sends Affection"
On February 5, 2013, Zhuang Zedong's condition deteriorated severely, and the time of daily sanity was counted.
When Zhuang Zedong was sober, the one who couldn't put his mind at ease was his wife, Atsuko Sasaki.
Atsuko Sasaki is the second wife of Zhuang Zedong, who renounced his Japanese nationality for love, and accompanied Zhuang Zedong day and night after Zhuang Zedong fell ill.
On the day of February 5, Zhuang Zedong woke up and pulled his wife, while tears in his eyes, he said: "You have no medical insurance, no salary, once I am gone, what will you do?" You don't want it for my nationality, but I want to leave you alone, and I'm sorry for you. ”
At noon on the 8th, Zhuang Zedong's physical indicators were even worse, he almost lost consciousness, and the doctor issued a notice of critical illness.
Although Zhuang Zedong was deeply unconscious, he still held Sasaki Atsuko's hand tightly, and at the same time extended his other hand and put it on the hand of his son Zhuang Biao.
Chinese New Year's Eve night, Zhuang Zedong's ex-wife Bao Huishuang also came to Zhuang Zedong's hospital room, and she also brought a hearty Chinese New Year's Eve meal. Bao Hui said to Dunzi, "You are too tired, let's have a reunion dinner." ”
At more than 10:00 a.m. on the 9th, Fan Zeng came to the hospital to visit Zhuang Zedong and brought his inscription to Zhuang Zedong, "Small ball pushes big ball, Si people are immortal."
Zhuang Zedong, who saw the inscription, was very happy, and his mental state suddenly improved. Later, Fan once offered to paint a sketch for Zhuang Zedong, and Zhuang Zedong gladly agreed. Fan Zeng originally intended to let Zhuang Zedong lie down, but he did not expect Zhuang Zedong to sit up and try to open his eyes.
The sketch that Fan once painted for Zhuang Zedong became the last picture that Zhuang Zedong left to the world.
Zhuang Zedong and Fan Zeng said that after their deaths, their wives' lives had no financial resources, and they hoped that Fan Zeng could help auction Zhuang Zedong's calligraphy works, no matter how much they sold, they could also give their wives some living security.
Fan Zeng also promised Zhuang Zedong, saying that he would do his best. At 5 p.m. on February 10, Zhuang Zedong died at the age of 73.
After Zhuang Zedong's death, Zhuang Zedong's calligraphy and collections were auctioned in Beijing, and 100% of all collections were sold, with a turnover of more than 4 million yuan.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="13" >4, Zhuang Zedong's son recalled his father, saying that he should not have suffered such treatment</h1>
On the morning of February 28, 2013, the farewell ceremony for Zhuang Zedong's body was held in Beijing. At this time, the city of Beijing was still in the middle of winter.
In Zhuang Biao's view, there were three old friends of Zhuang Zedong who could not come to send his father on the last journey, which he never expected.
The first of these is Zhuang Zedong's former teammate, Liang Geliang.
In 1969, Liang Geliang's mother fell ill with cancer, and Zhuang Zedong took him around the city of Beijing to look for medicine, and eventually Liang Geliang's mother improved.
On the eve of the 1971 World Table Tennis Championships in Nagoya, Japan, the chinese team's big roster had not yet been determined, at which time Zhuang Zedong recommended Liang Geliang to Premier Zhou Enlai, and the young player at that time had the opportunity to play in the World Table Tennis Championships for his country for the first time.
However, at the farewell ceremony of the body, Liang Geliang's figure was not seen.
The other two old friends of Zhuang Zedong, Xu Yinsheng and Li Furong, also did not attend the farewell ceremony of the body. Although there was once a gap between Zhuang Zedong and Xu Yinsheng and Li Furong, in 2004, the three of them had already frozen their previous suspicions and reconciled.
Zhuang Biao couldn't figure out why they hadn't come.
In Zhuang Biao's heart, this didn't matter anymore, his father had already driven the crane west. At least in Zhuang Biao's heart, "My father's life, this life is brilliant and magnificent."
Resources:
"Zhuang Zedong died", China News Network, Han Kai
"The Current Situation of Zhuang Zedong's Ex-Wife and Children", Personal Library Network
"The Death of Zhuang Zedong, a Hero of Ping-Pong Diplomacy", China Broadcasting Network
"Not a hero, or a prisoner? Zhuang Biao's father Zhuang Zedong in his memory, Southern Weekend, Feng Xiang
"Chairman Mao's Thoughts", People's Daily News