Lin Yutang Chinese writer, philosopher, scientist. Date of Birth: 10.10.1895 Country: Hong Kong

Biography of Lin Yutang

Lin Yutang was a Chinese writer, philosopher, and scholar. He was born on October 10, 1895, in the city of Banzai in Pinghe County, Zhangzhou District, Fujian Province, China, into a family of Christian priests. In 1912, he enrolled at St. John's University in Shanghai and graduated in 1916. He then began teaching at Tsinghua University in Beijing. In 1919, he went to the United States to study literature at Harvard University, where he obtained a Master of Arts degree in 1922. He also studied at the University of Jena in Germany and Leipzig University, where he completed his dissertation on Chinese phonology and received a Doctor of Philosophy degree in linguistics in 1923.

Upon returning to China, Lin Yutang worked as a professor of English literature at Peking University and also lectured at the Beijing Normal University. In 1926, he was declared wanted by the government of Duan Qirui, so he fled to Xiamen, where he taught at Xiamen University. However, in 1927, unrest among the faculty at Xiamen University led Lin Yutang to move to Shanghai, where he began actively pursuing his writing career.

In 1928, Lin Yutang became the chief editor of English publications at the Academia Sinica in China and later expanded his collaboration with the academy, becoming the chief editor of European language publications in 1931. In 1930, he wrote a column called "The Little Critic" in a Chinese critical weekly magazine.

In 1935, his book "My Country and My People" was published in English in the United States and became one of the best-selling books according to "The New York Times". After the Marco Polo Bridge incident on July 7, 1937, he wrote an article titled "Japan Will Not Conquer China" for "Time" magazine.

In 1939, Lin Yutang moved to the United States, where he engaged in writing, translated classical Chinese literature into English, and wrote articles in support of China during the ongoing Second Sino-Japanese War. He was awarded an honorary Doctor of Philosophy degree in art history from Elmira College in New York. In 1942, he also received an honorary Doctor of Philosophy degree in art history from Rutgers University.

In 1946, he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Philosophy degree in humanities from Beloit College. In 1947, in New York, he completed his research on a fast typewriter for the Chinese script, which became the most convenient and user-friendly typewriter for the Chinese language at that time. However, the turmoil in China prevented its production.

In 1948, Lin Yutang moved to Paris and worked at UNESCO, but he resigned after six months to focus on his writing. In 1950, he returned to the United States and lived in New York until 1966.

In May 1954, he arrived in Singapore and became the rector of the newly established Nanyang Technological University. However, he left this position in April 1955.

In 1966, Lin Yutang moved to Taiwan. In 1969, he became the president of the Chinese branch of the PEN Club. In 1975, he was elected as the vice-president of the International PEN Club. In the same year, he was nominated for the Nobel Prize for his book "Moment in Peking".

Lin Yutang passed away on March 26, 1976, in Hong Kong. In April, his body was transported to Taiwan, and he was buried in Taipei.