Online Lecture: Liang Sicheng and Lin Huiyin Through Their Manuscripts
8 – 9:30PM
Liang Sicheng and Lin Huiyin are household names in China. Liang Sicheng (April 20, 1901 – January 9, 1972), a graduate of University of Pennsylvania and son of Liang Qichao, one of the most prominent Chinese scholars of the early 20th century, was a Chinese architect and architectural historian, known as the father of modern Chinese architecture. Liang authored the first modern history of Chinese architecture, and was the founder of the Architecture Department of Northeastern University in 1928 and Tsinghua University in 1946. He was the Chinese representative on the 11-person team that designed the United Nations Headquarters in New York City. Princeton University awarded him an honorary doctoral degree in 1947 and issued a statement praising him as “a creative architect who has also been a teacher of architectural history, a pioneer in historical research and exploration in Chinese architecture and planning, and a leader in the restoration and preservation of the priceless monuments of his country.”
Lin Huiyin (June 10, 1904–April 1, 1955), Liang’s wife, was also a Chinese architect and architectural historian. She is known to be the first female architect in modern China. Both of them were founders and professors in the Architecture Department of Northeastern University in 1928 and, after 1949, at Tsinghua University in Beijing. The couple initiated restoration work on cultural heritage sites in China in the post-imperial Republican Era, a passion which she would pursue to the end of her life. Lin was also known for her literary talent, having written many essays and poems. The American artist Maya Lin is her niece.
The couple left behind a large volume of valuable manuscripts in the form of letters, personal documents, photos and films, much of which are now kept at the Shanghai Art Collection Museum.
To mark the 120th anniversary of Liang Sicheng’s birth and celebrate the couple’s distinguished accomplishments, the Renwen Society presents a lecture on January 9, 2021 by Mr. Hu Muqing, President of the Shanghai Art Collection Museum. The day happens to be the 49th anniversary of Liang’s passing in 1972. At the lecture, the speaker will discuss the life and achievements of these two distinguished personalities in modern Chinese history through their manuscripts in the collections of his museum. Mr. Hu will illustrate his lecture with rare manuscripts of the couple and their photos and videos, an opportunity not to be missed.
Free, but advanced registration is requested.