Reflections After Listening to the Biography of Qian Xuesen

Over the weekend I discovered an audiobook narration of the Biography of Qian Xuesen on the WeChat Reading app, and, curious, I gave it a listen. Once started, I could not stop. I have long admired Qian Xuesen and knew something of his story, but I had never read his biography. This weekend, not wanting to overstrain my eyes yet wanting to take something in, I chose to listen to an e-book. Perhaps because I had just written an article related to Mr. Qian Xuesen, the algorithm recommended the biography to me.

Qian Xuesen was the founder of China's aerospace program and a pivotal architect of the "Two Bombs, One Satellite" endeavor—a great scientist of outstanding contribution to the nation. He led an older generation of Chinese scientists in relying on themselves to build China's missiles, atomic bombs, and satellites. His contribution to China's contemporary national defense cannot be overstated. Without the efforts of Qian's generation of scientists, we could hardly have today's peace and stability.

Born in 1911, Qian Xuesen had lived through China's humiliation at the hands of foreign powers in his childhood and resolved from boyhood to contribute to the self-rescue and self-strengthening of the Chinese nation.

Qian's father, Qian Junfu, was an educator. He studied at the Qiushi Academy in Zhejiang and later went to Japan with Lu Xun and others. Broad-minded and deeply patriotic, he devoted his life to saving the nation through education, while hoping his son would follow the path of saving the nation through industry and contribute to the motherland's strength. So he greatly influenced Qian Xuesen's thinking. Qian's mother, Zhang Lanjuan, came from a wealthy merchant family, received a good education, and was gentle, generous, benevolent, compassionate, and charitable, often helping the poor.

Raised by his parents' example, Qian Xuesen grew up with lofty aspirations, a strong sense of country, and a spirit of universal love—his greatest lifelong spiritual driving force. When a person's concern is not the selfish self but the people of the world, he will have both a great character and abundant vitality. In this sense, Qian's parents' greatest success was raising him into a person of lofty ideals and great character.

From childhood Qian Junfu cultivated good habits in his son: the habit of reading, the habit of doing things in an orderly way, and the habit of rigorous, careful thinking. As an educator he also nurtured Qian's various interests. Qian began memorizing Tang and Song poetry at age three, studied national learning, and took up painting and music early. Qian Junfu strongly opposed utilitarian education; he did not demand that his son excel in these fields, but encouraged broad exposure and the cultivation of varied interests.

Though a scientist, Qian Xuesen—thanks to his parents' early education—had a deep grounding in the arts and philosophy, laying a solid foundation for his later career. His American advisor, von Kármán, marveled at Qian's broad learning and deep artistic cultivation, regarding them as a great asset to his scientific career.

In that era Qian's family was quite well-off: both parents were highly educated, and the family was financially comfortable, which was an important reason he could later study in the United States. The Qian family upheld a tradition of honesty and generosity, not spoiling the children but teaching them frugality and diligence.

Qian Xuesen and his wife, Jiang Ying, passed this tradition on in raising their own children. Qian donated all the various prizes he won in his life to the state. He and Jiang Ying funded impoverished students while expecting their own children to be self-reliant. He even took the initiative to write to the central authorities asking to have his salary reduced, so the money could go into national construction. This disregard for fame and fortune, and this patriotism, are deeply moving.

Qian studied mechanical engineering as an undergraduate at Shanghai Jiao Tong University—a field I feel close to, since I once studied mechanical engineering myself. In college he dreamed of saving the nation through industry and very much wanted to develop China's railways. But later, seeing his country torn apart and bullied by foreign powers, he hoped instead to build aircraft. He passed the national competitive examination for government-funded study abroad, studied aeronautics for a year at Tsinghua University, and then went to America.

While studying in the U.S. he realized that the developed West was already far advanced in aviation industry, and that China would not find it easy to catch up in those fields. So after his master's he studied aeronautical theory under von Kármán, hoping one day to return to China and contribute to its aerospace program, overtaking the West in this new technological field.

Later events proved Qian far-sighted. Under his leadership, China independently developed missile, atomic bomb, and satellite technology, greatly strengthening its national defense and providing a powerful guarantee for its economic development. Such insight depended on his comprehensive knowledge; had he been merely an engineer, he could not have seen so far.

Qian later put forward far-sighted proposals on many matters of national importance. For example, he urged China to vigorously develop new energy so as not to be held hostage on fossil fuels. We are now living through the impact on global energy markets of the wars among the U.S., Israel, and Iran; but because China's new-energy sector already leads the world, this energy crisis has only a limited impact on us. From this alone one can see how far-sighted Qian was.

Von Kármán was an open-minded, approachable mentor who valued innovative thinking; he also had strong coordination skills and was adept at maintaining relationships, and he greatly influenced Qian. Qian repeatedly mentioned this Hungarian-born mentor, feeling he set a fine example both in learning and in conduct. When Qian later led China's Two Bombs, One Satellite effort, he organized researchers nationwide to tackle technical breakthroughs under brutal conditions. Such work requires not only technical expertise but comprehensive ability. Had Qian not received the relevant training and influence, how could he have overcome all difficulties and succeeded?

Listening to the biography, I gained a great deal. Qian Xuesen was undoubtedly a man of exceptional talent, but the family and school education he received also played an enormous role in his life. He was not complacent about his gifts; he was diligent and indefatigable all his life, widely read, and highly self-disciplined. These qualities mattered as much as his intellect.

Before such a great scientist I could not help feeling awe. I myself work in medical research and have my own children. Asking myself honestly, I have a long way to go, compared with Qian Xuesen and his father, in my career and in family education.

But as the ancients said, one should "see the worthy and strive to equal him." Limited by talent, most of us cannot hope to match Qian Xuesen, but if we are willing to learn from great people like him, we can still raise our own lives a notch higher.