Cheng Chen-to (1898-17 October 1958), literary historian, bibliophile, and editor, made major studies of the history of Chinese vernacular literature, was prominent in the Literary Research Society, and edited the Hsiao-shuoyueh-pao (Short Story Magazine). In 1937 he became dean of the college of arts and letters at Chinan University. From 1954 to 1958 he served […]

Wu Chih-hui (25 March 1864-30 October 1953), scholar and educator, social reformer and revolutionary, anti-Communist and longtime associate of Ts'ai Yuan-p'ei, Chang Jenchieh, and Li Shih-tseng. They came to be identified as the "four elder statesmen" of the Kuomintang. Wu was also known for his efforts to standardize the Chinese spoken language. Yanghu hsien (Wuchin), […]

Wang Yün-wu (9 July 1888-), editor in chief (1921-29) and general manager (1930-45) of the Commercial Press, republican China's largest publishing house. From May 1946 to April 1947 he was minister of economic affairs, and in 1948 he served as minister of finance during the ill-fated gold yuan currency conversion. In Taiwan, he was vice […]

Fu Tseng-hsiang (1872-1950), a scholar-official and bibliophile, introduced educational reforms and established schools in Chihli (Hopei) during the last decade of the Ch'ing period. After holding such posts as minister of education (1917-19) he withdrew from public life and became a noted bibliophile. Little is known of Fu Tseng-hsiang's early years except that he was […]

Ts'ai Yuan-p'ei 蔡元培 T. Ho-ch'ing 鶴卿 H. Chieh-min 孑民 Ts'ai Yuan-p'ei (January 1868-5 March 1940), the last of the Hanlin scholars to have major influence in twentieth-century China, was the leading liberal educator of early republican China and an important synthesizer of Chinese and Western intellectual patterns. After the overthrow of the Ch'ing dynasty, he […]