Zheng Zhenduo (1898-1958) was an outstanding modern patriot and social activist in China, as well as a renowned writer, literary critic, literary historian, translator, art historian, and a collector known both at home and abroad. He was originally from Changle County, Fujian Province. However, he was born in Yongjia County (now Wenzhou City), Zhejiang Province. Did he ever return to his hometown, what was his relationship with it, and what were the manifestations and influences of his hometown feelings in his life and creations? Because he led a Chinese cultural delegation to visit abroad on October 17, 1958, and was suddenly killed in a plane crash the next day, he did not talk about them all before he died. We share the interest of many of our readers in these questions and will explore them.
When he was a young man, he went back to his hometown
First of all, what should be explored is whether Zheng Zhenduo went back to his hometown when he was a young man. Although Zheng Zhenduo grew up in Wenzhou, then went to Beijing, graduated from the Railway Management School and went to Shanghai, where he worked at the Commercial Press for a long time, he kept close contact with his relatives in his hometown and went back to his hometown. In a letter to Qiming (Zhou Zuoren) dated October 15, 1921, Mao Dun mentioned that "Zhenduo went back to his hometown to bury his ancestors" (see The Collected Letters of Mao Dun, published in 1988 by the Culture and Art Publishing House). According to Dr. Chen Fukang, an expert on Zheng Zhenduo, it took more than a month for him to travel to Changle via Fuzhou to bury his ancestors. In the early winter of 1995, the village of Shouzhan, Changle, collected a precious piece of material in honor of Zheng Zhenduo - Shouzhan. Zheng's mutilated "obituaries", in an octavo paper, can still see the name of the person **** 36 people, including "fine linen clothing nephew great-grandson Zhenduo" and other words, analyze, this is Zheng Zhenduo's great-uncle or great-uncle of the funeral of the "obituaries", this is the first time that Zheng Zhenduo's great-uncle or great-uncle of the "obituaries". Obituaries", which confirms that he has "returned to his hometown to bury his ancestors" line. According to the first account of Zheng's relatives recall, in those days, the first account of the "Daiyang Zheng Ancestral Hall," hung many plaques reflecting the deeds of Zheng's forefathers and the introduction of the center hangs a famous minister of the Ming Jiajing, the Ministry of Criminal Affairs, Zheng Shih-wei (1503-1584) personally written "Shipei Zhonghou" ancestral motto. The ancestral motto of ...... has enabled Zheng Zhenduo to have a better understanding of the achievements and valuable qualities of his forefathers, and to have a deeper affection for his hometown. Therefore, although he has been living, studying and working in a foreign land for a long time, he is always concerned about and loves his hometown.
Heart to heart with the people of his hometown
In 1919, news of the May Fourth Movement reached Fujian and had a great impact. In Fuzhou, students from various schools held two rallies to show solidarity with the patriotic movement of the students in Beijing, and to mourn the death of Guo Qinguang, a student of Min nationality from Peking University, who had been beaten to death by reactionary soldiers and police officers; in Xiamen, the youthful students held rallies and demonstrations, which later developed into the National Congress with the participation of all sectors of the community. In Xiamen, young students held rallies and demonstrations, which later developed into the National Convention with the participation of people from all walks of life, angrily denouncing the crimes of the warlord government and Japanese imperialism. The fire of May Fourth was ignited in the land of Labuan. However, the Japanese imperialists sent warships to Xiamen and Fuzhou successively to carry out armed threats, and they even opened fire in Fuzhou. When Zheng Zhenduo in Beijing heard about this, he actively participated in organizing the Anti-Japanese Federation of Fujian Students in Beijing and became one of the leaders of the Federation. He participated in the publication of "Minchao", and ran around in solidarity with the anti-imperialist and patriotic movement in his hometown, always connecting his heart with the people of his hometown. Bing Xin, a famous writer originally from Changle, Fujian Province, who was then studying at the preparatory course of Peking Union Women's University, met Zheng Zhenduo during this solidarity activity. After 60 years, Bingxin still has a deep impression of his patriotic and emotional speeches.
Warm reception of students from his hometown
Although Zheng Zhenduo has long been serving in Beijing and Shanghai, he has always warmly received all visitors from his hometown and carefully understood the situation in his hometown. Since Changle was historically under the jurisdiction of Fuzhou Prefecture, conceptually speaking, the scope of his hometown was naturally larger. in the summer of 1939, a literary youth in Fuzhou, Chen Honghai, a high school student at Sanshan Middle School (a member of the "Green Literary Society " member), because he had heard that the Faculty of Letters of Jinan University, under the auspices of its dean, Zheng Zhenduo, had a strong lineup of professors, was eager to cross the line and enroll in the faculty. Introduced by Yu Dafu (1886-1945), a famous literary scholar then serving in Fuzhou, he went to Shanghai to visit Zheng Zhenduo and was warmly received by him. After reading the letter of introduction, Zheng Zhenduo first learned about Yu Dafu's recent situation in Fuzhou, and then asked in detail what "measures" Chen Yi (1886-1949) had taken to preside over the Fujian Provincial Government. What were the achievements of Zheng Zhenwen (1891-1969), the director of the Provincial Department of Education, in the management of education? Because it was the time when Zheng Zhenwen was carrying out educational reforms in the province and the provincial county schools stopped replacing teachers and principals, he had already read some reports in the newspapers. He thought that "Zheng Zhenwen also have Zheng Zhenwen's difficulties", he asked with particular concern: the Japanese imperialists in Fuzhou rampage performance, Fuzhou construction, cultural progress, the number of unemployed people in their hometowns and the situation of the people's lives? After ...... Chen Honghai introduced the situation, he said with emotion, "About the 17 or 18 years of the Republic of China, the Fujianese people were the most optimistic!" Finally, Zheng Zhenduo said that he had seen Chen Honghai's works in a literary magazine published in Fujian and was quite impressed. Of course, Zheng Zhenduo was visited by more than one literary youth from his hometown. Mr. Huang Junlin, in his article "Recollections of Zheng Shishi" (in Banyan Blossom, No. 1, 1981), also talked about how he was received and cared for by this "Datong hometown" during the period when he was studying at Yanjing University and teaching in Shanghai. These examples show that although Zheng Zhenduo did not go to Fuzhou at that time, he was aware of the situation in his hometown and was extremely concerned about it. Of course, the channels through which he learned about the situation in his hometown were also manifold.
Not forgetting his hometown
Cheng Zhenduo did not forget his own ancestors grew up in his hometown, but also manifested in his hometown, he always openly marked himself as a Changle people in Fujian Province, and sometimes write books, but also deliberately signed with the word "Changle", for example, at the end of the "Ching Dynasty Miscellaneous Drama Primary Collection Trekking", he signed "March 23, 1931 this set of printing, Changle Zheng Zhenduo trekking" he edited a book is "Changle Zheng's Hui Yin Legends of the first collection", after the preface to this book, also signed: "July 7, 1934 Changle Zheng Zhenduo preface," and even in his Even in his seal, also use "Changle Xi Shime". "Changle Zheng Zhenduo Xizhi Collection". Until ten days before he was killed, in the "last speech", but also said "I was growing up in Wenzhou, Fujian".
Though Zheng Zhenduo grew up in Wenzhou, he spoke Fuzhou dialect, and his daily conversations with his family were in Fuzhou dialect. In his article "In Memory of Some Friends Who Passed Away This Year" (in Tsinghua University Literature Monthly, Vol. 2, No. 1), referring to his meetings with Hu Yai-feng (1903-1931) in Shanghai, he writes, "He met me quite often. His rusty Fuzhou dialect often impressed me, and although I grew up in a foreign country, I seemed to be a little more advanced than him in striking up local country talk." That is to say, although the two of them have been in the field for a long time, but Zheng Zhenduo's Fuzhou dialect, to speak better than Hu also frequency. In terms of dietary preferences, Zheng Zhenduo also retained the characteristics of his hometown, with the rich hometown flavor of Min cuisine, entertaining literary friends, apparently, this is Zheng Zhenduo proud. When he hosted Lu Xun, Bing Xin and others, he ate Fujian cuisine prepared by his mother. Zheng Zhenduo also loved the daffodils of Fujian, and once gave Lu Xun a special gift of daffodils from his hometown.
Hometown feelings flowed into his works
We can also feel the depth of Zheng Zhenduo's feelings for his hometown in his literary works.
In 1926, Zheng Zhenduo's essay "Words on a Moonlit Night," which he wrote during his summer vacation in the Moganshan Mountains, very naturally reveals his fondness for and appreciation of Fuzhou's folk songs through the rambling of a moonlit cooler. Mr. Gao Mengdan introduced three Fuzhou folk songs to him, and he transcribed them one by one, and translated the Fuzhou dialect folk songs into Mandarin, explained them, and introduced them to the readers through his own works. Indeed, Fuzhou folk songs like True Birdie, "I am afraid that it is not something that a 'non-Fuzhou person' can understand ", Zheng Zhenduo was able to translate the original meaning because he knew the regional dialect of Fuzhou.
In 1927, Chiang Kai-shek betrayed the revolution and massacred ****producers, workers and peasants, and revolutionary intellectuals. Zheng Zhenduo was forced to leave for Europe. He captured a slice of life on his way to Europe and wrote Haiyan. Relying on his knowledge of his hometown, he depicted his hometown with a brushstroke technique, in the midst of all the magnificent and springtime scenery, the delightful little swallows coming back from the south swept across and flew diagonally at will, and returned to their old nests a year ago when they were tired of flying. He writes, "The swallows return to their old nests," "These are the lovely and lively swallows of our hometown." On the sea journey "thousands of miles from home and thousands of miles from the country", he "unexpectedly saw our little swallows". He expressed from the heart of the wanderer's soulful longing for his motherland and hometown.
To sum up, Zheng Zhenduo was able to keep his native accent and maintain the characteristics of Fuzhou in his life, food and hobbies, even reflecting them in his works, not only because of the influence he received from the elders of his family, but also because of the fact that he often interacted with people of Minzhong culture. It is worth mentioning that in May, 1921, after he went to work in the Commercial Press, he was recognized by Gao Mengdan, the director of the Compilation and Compilation Office of the Press, and in 1923, he married his daughter, Gao Junzheng (Yunhua), with whom he had a very cordial relationship. Gao Mengdan (1870-1936), formerly known as Fengqian, commonly used pen name Chongyou, origin is also Changle, Fujian, he was 26 years old before he left his hometown, his hometown is in and Zheng's ancestral home of the first occupation of the Longmen Township of the field, so that Zheng Zhenduo's family still maintains some of the characteristics of their hometown, but also very natural. Gao Mengdan, who was well educated and familiar with the folklore, dialects and customs of central Fujian, also taught Zheng Zhenduo a lot.
The trip to Fuzhou was very rewarding
After the founding of New China, Zheng Zhenduo returned to Fujian, where in the spring of 1954, while serving in the Ministry of Culture, he took part in the "Delegation of the National People's Liberation Army", which arrived in Fuzhou on February 27, to pay tribute to the three armies on the front line in Fujian. In a month's time, as one of the representatives of the delegation, he addressed a general meeting of one of the frontline departments to console the garrison and made a report, vividly explaining the glorious achievements of the motherland in all aspects of construction over the past four years under the illumination of the general line with concrete facts, giving great encouragement to the majority of the commanders; he and the delegates climbed the mountains and crossed the sea, and went into the frontline to carry out the cordial condolence activities, which were warmly welcomed by the commanders, and during the period, he also met with people from the literary and artistic circles to express his gratitude. He also held talks with members of the literary and artistic circles and conducted visits. He had a deep impression of the development of Fujian, and on March 4, he wrote in a letter to his friend Liu Zemin: "Fuzhou city is very prosperous, and there are a lot of local specialties, but because the transportation is not very convenient, some things can not be transported to the outside world to promote. Like the lacquer chopsticks, the most exquisite, but shipped to the outside world is not the best goods, paper is also very good, fruit is very much, in the future when the exchange can be greatly." The letter also mentioned that "I am very busy with my work, and I can't have time to write letters; but some stories should be written, I don't know when to write them. After returning to Beijing, I will be very busy again, and I am afraid it will not be easy for me to write." April 1, he wrote in the letter: "this January condolences, harvest is very big, or will write a few articles out, is carefully drafted; I do not know whether I can write?" Indeed, his trip was very rewarding, his hometown's landscape, many vivid and touching deeds, in his mind left a deep impression, and accumulated a wealth of creative material. However, due to his return to Beijing after the busy business, the end of the pen could not be timely. 1957, he came to Fuzhou on business, concerned about the Qing dynasty during the Daoguang years Fuzhou talented woman Li Guiyu made a long commentary on the situation of the collection of "durian dream". This masterpiece, 360 volumes, 4.83 million words, four times longer than the Dream of Red Mansions, he personally access to this book, recommended by the Fujian Provincial Department of Culture, Fujian Normal University Library, Fujian Provincial Library collection. It is regrettable that, although Zheng Zhenduo deep love for his homeland, but ultimately because of the heavy responsibility, busy work, foreign cultural exchanges and more, not only in Fujian to condolences for more than a month, he to business as a priority, has not returned to Changle Shouzhan. 1957 to Banyan, also failed to return to his hometown!
Patriotism and love of homeland is the fine tradition of the Chinese nation. Facts show that Zheng Zhenduo's feelings for his hometown is very deep, but this kind of love is not out of the narrow concept of hometown, no matter where he went, always actively involved in the local patriotic movement. Whether he was in Wenzhou, Beijing or Shanghai, he always worked with local cultural figures to advocate a new culture and was actively involved in anti-imperialist struggles and anti-Japanese salvation movements. Although he could speak Fuzhou, he spoke Mandarin when talking to young literary figures such as Chen Honghai who visited him in his hometown. In the mid-1930s, he advocated that "the Chinese intelligentsia should all speak the national language, and if the intellectuals keep on speaking their own dialects, then the national language will never become universal." Obviously, although he loved his hometown, he always considered from the whole, and put his love for the motherland in the front. And he for the motherland's early wealth and strength and forgetfulness of the spirit of work, always worthy of posterity to memorialize!