famous people of china
Famous People from China
China is a country that is known for its rich culture and heritage. It is a civilization that dates back thousands of years and is at present one of the emerging superpowers of the world. This has been a result of the efforts and achievements of several people of the country who have helped put China on the world map.
One lesson that every nation can learn from China is to focus more on creating village-level enterprises, quality health services and educational facilities.
―Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam (President of India: 2002 to 2007)
China is situated in the continent of Asia, and is currently the world's most populous country. It is a civilization that dates back thousands of years, and is at present one of the emerging superpowers of the world. China has a history of imperialism, and more recently, it went on to adopt communism. Several people, over the decades, have played an important role in making China the nation it is today. People from China have made a name for themselves and their country in various fields, like philosophy, science, sport, etc.
A few of the important and famous Chinese people have been listed below, in no particular order.
Lu Xun/Zhou Shuren
1881 - 1936
Novelist, Poet
Lu Xun is the pen name of Zhou Shuren, who was one of the most famous Chinese authors. He was the first to write his works in the modern, colloquial medium of language, most of which is read and influences people even today. Some of his literature is used in Chinese schooling too. In his writing he criticized tradition and advocated people to embrace modernization. Some of his most acclaimed works include 'A Madman's Diary' and 'The True Story of Ah-Q', which are widely ready even today. Mao Zedong and the modern communist party of the country had embraced his works. He widely encouraged young writers and artists, and he was very interested in woodblock printing which showed the problems and suffering of the society.
Qian Xuesen
1911 - 2009
Scientist
Qian Xuesen was a rocket scientist, whose immense contributions to China's missile programs earned himself the name as the 'Father of China's missile and space technology program'. At the young age of 20 he was teaching at High profile American institutes such as MIT and Caltech, where he started experimenting in the nascent field of rocketry. His work was used to develop the 'jet-assisted take off technology' for the US Bombers in World War Two. He also helped the US to create their first solid fuel propellant missile. He also made notable contributions towards the 'Manhattan Project'. He helped in the interrogations of Nazi scientists in technical matters. Later, his ideas would greatly influence the building of the first US space shuttle. Despite all of his good work, he was detained and deported to China in the 1950s on the suspicion of being a communist sympathizer, which was later considered to be a great mistake by most people. This loss of the USA was China's gain, because now he used his knowledge in greatly furthering China's ballistic missile plans which resulted in the success of the Dongfeng nuclear missile in 1964 and successive versions. His work also help China launch its first satellite into orbit. His research was also instrumental in the success of the nations first manned space flight. With all this China had announced itself as a superpower.
Yuan Longping
1931 -
Scientist
Professor Yuan Longping was given the moniker 'Father of hybrid rice' in 1974 after he genetically engineered a high yielding variety of rice plant. After a terrible famine in the 1960s he has constantly worked on improving the yield and quality of the rice crop. Currently more than half the rice grown in China is of this variety, which gives around 40% more yield than regular rice crops. Yuan has primarily focused on increasing the yield of rice rather than the taste, although quality was not completely ignored. His success in this field has made him into one of the richest men in China. He started the Yuan Longping Foundation to provide support to people working in researching agriculture. Recently his work has been adopted by many other nations across the world. For his efforts he was awarded the World Food Prize in 2004. It is his dream to have a world where no one will suffer from a shortage of food.
Yang Liwei
1965 -
Military Pilot, Astronaut
Yang Liwei, was the first person from China to be sent into space. He joined the People's Liberation Army in 1983 and is now Deputy Director of the China Astronaut Research and Training Center and also Deputy Director General of China's manned space program. On October 15, 2003, he was launched into space on board the Shenzhou V, bringing China into the small group of countries to have accomplished this feat. On this mission Yang traveled 500,000 kilometers and orbited the earth fourteen times. After returning to Earth he was given the rank of Vice Commander in Chief to the manned space flight project of the country. He played an prominent role in the planning phase of the second manned space flight mission. Recently he was promoted to become a Major General. He ranks among the best astronauts that China has ever trained, and it is his dream that he can inspire Chinese youth to participate in space related professions.
Cai Lun
50 - 121
Politician, Inventor
He is credited with having invented the paper which was similar to the current form of paper that we use. He also went on to improve the paper-making process by using various materials to improve the quality of paper. Cai Lun was born around 50 AD and served as a court eunuch during the Han dynasty.
Wu Zetian
624 - 705
Empress
Wu Zetian was the only woman emperor in Chinese history. She ruled from the year 690 to 705. She was a competent yet shrewd ruler who went to great lengths to stay in power. Her reign is often criticized, however this is seen as a result of her having been a woman who held a powerful position.
Li Shizhen
1518 - 1593
Physician, Scientist
He was a herbalist and a medical expert. He is credited with having compiled information about the various traditional Chinese medicines into one book called Bencao Gangmu. The book took him nearly three decades to compile and it is considered one of the greatest works on traditional Chinese medicine. However, he passed away before it was published officially. He was born in 1518 and died in 1593.
Zhu Yuanzhang
1328 - 1398
Emperor
During the reign of the Ming dynasty, China is believed to have seen one of the most organized, stable and influential phases in its history. Zhu Yuanzhang was a peasant who rose to power and became the founder as well as the first emperor of the Ming dynasty in 1368. He continued his reign till his death in 1398.
Kangxi Emperor
1654 - 1722
Emperor
Kangxi Emperor ruled over China for the longest period in Chinese history, from 1661 to 1722. He was the second ruler from the Qing dynasty to rule China. He is widely regarded as a great emperor under whose rule the kingdom stabilized and prospered for several years.
Charles K. Kao
1933 -
Engineer, Physicist
He is a physicist who won the Nobel Prize in Physics, in 2009, for contribution to works related to "transmission of light in fibers for optical communication". He was born in Shanghai in 1933 and in his teenage years moved to Hong Kong. He went on study at the University of Greenwich and University College of London. He currently hold citizenship for United States and United Kingdom.
Liu Xiang
1983 -
Athlete
He is the first Chinese to win an Olympic gold medal in track and field. He achieved this feat at the 2004 Athens Olympics at the age of 21. He also held the record for fastest time in 110 meter hurdles from 2006 to 2008. He is thus a source of pride for China. He has endorsed several brands like Nike, Coca Cola, etc.
Through this list, we can gauge from the names mentioned and their work, the variety of domains in which people from China have excelled through the ages. Be it the ancient philosophy of Confucius, or the modern-day athletic brilliance of Liu Xiang, Chinese people have made a mark through the ages. These people help to remind us of the cultural contributions that the Chinese civilization has made to the world.