Today, we are going to talk about a story that many people have heard of, but may not truly understand.
She was the first female university president in China, and one of the most prominent female educators of the Republic of China era. She had studied in Japan and America, a true genius and academic star.
She was fearless of authority, stood by her principles, but ultimately found herself at the center of a campus storm, surrounded by students, critiqued by Lu Xun, and ultimately forced to resign, leaving the lectern behind.
Some said she was a “dictatorial principal”; some said she just became a political scapegoat of the times.
But fewer people know that during the resistance against the Japanese invasion, she was brutally murdered by Japanese soldiers in order to protect her students, becoming a true national martyr.
She is none other than Yang Yin Yu.
Next, let’s delve into her legendary and tumultuous life together.
In 1884, Yang Yin Yu was born into a scholarly family in Wuxi, Jiangsu province, as the sixth child in the family. Her niece is the famous writer and translator Yang Jiang.
With dark skin, bright eyes, a smile that revealed two dimples, and full of vitality. Yang Jiang described her this way in “Memories of My Aunt”.
Yang Yin Yu was intelligent and eager to learn from a young age, receiving modern education. However, the first hardship in her life came early.
In 1901, Yang Yin Yu married a Mr. Jiang as instructed by her parents. At the time, her parents only focused on social status and did not investigate the background of her future husband. On their wedding night, Yang Yin Yu discovered that her husband was ugly and seemed to have intellectual issues, always smiling foolishly with drool at the corner of his mouth. For her, who had received modern education, this marriage was a nightmare!
On the night of their wedding, she tore her husband’s face, and the next morning, she fled barefoot back to her parents’ home. However, her dominant mother-in-law sent people multiple times to forcibly bring her back. Faced with such oppression, Yang Yin Yu, at just 18 years old, made the resolute choice to break off all ties with her husband’s family.
That’s when she was just 18 years old.
This brief and unfortunate marriage made her character rigid and serious, laying the groundwork for her future life.
After escaping the shackles of marriage, Yang Yin Yu realized that women could only change their fate through knowledge.
With the support of her older brother, she continued her education and in 1907, she was given the opportunity to study in Japan on a government scholarship, enrolling in the Department of Chemistry and Physics at the Tokyo Higher Normal School. She graduated six years later.
This school had high requirements, with very few students graduating, let alone foreign students. However, Yang Yin Yu, with outstanding achievements, not only graduated successfully but also received awards from the school. Her Japanese was fluent, and she was knowledgeable in Japanese etiquette, truly a top student.
After returning to China, she served as the director of academic affairs at a women’s normal school in Jiangsu, and later as the academic supervisor at the Beijing National Women’s Higher Normal School.
In 1918, she once again received a government scholarship to study in the United States at Columbia University for a master’s degree in education. During her time in the U.S., she served as the president of the Chinese Students’ Association, had frequent exchanges with education giants like John Dewey and Mortimer Adler, showcasing her exceptional talents.
In 1922, Yang Yin Yu obtained her master’s degree and returned to China to start teaching in Shanghai. Her knowledge and abilities made her a shining star in the education field at that time.
Yang Yin Yu was not only knowledgeable but also deeply loved by her students. Her niece Yang Jiang recalled that when her aunt went to study in the U.S., the scene of students bidding her farewell at the train station was deeply moving. Many students were in tears, crying uncontrollably, even as the train departed, Yang Yin Yu was seen wiping away tears, reluctant to part with her students.
A former student once said that Yang Yin Yu was knowledgeable, experienced, kind, and friendly, like a caring mother. Even a former student who opposed her, Xu Guangping, admitted that Yang Yin Yu was serious and honest in her work, and her knowledge and experience were more than enough to qualify her for the position of principal. Such evaluations prove her esteemed position in the hearts of students.
In 1924, Yang Yin Yu was appointed as the president of the Beijing Women’s Normal University by the Ministry of Education of the Beiyang Government, becoming the first female university president in China. This should have been the pinnacle of her career, but it became a turning point in her destiny.
At that time, China was in a period of turmoil. After the May Fourth Movement in 1919, Marxist-Leninist ideology was introduced in China, leading to communist teachers emerging in Beijing universities, such as Chen Duxiu, the dean of arts at Peking University, and Li Dazhao, a professor in the history department and the director of the library.
They held up the banner of nationalism, urging students to participate in anti-imperialist movements. Faced with foreign aggressions and the loss of national sovereignty, students actively engaged in political activities. In just one year in 1922, 125 large-scale riots occurred in the Chinese education sector, and many students later became early members of the Communist Party, such as Zhang Guotao, Deng Zhongxia, and Qu Qiubai.
However, Yang Yin Yu, who was studying in the U.S. during those years, was not very enthusiastic about these changes. Her educational philosophy was deeply influenced by tradition and the West, emphasizing that students should focus on their studies and avoid excessive involvement in political movements. She implemented strict school regulations, requiring students to return to school on time, or face expulsion. In the fall of 1924, several students who were late returning to school were expelled by her, setting off the “Drive Yang” trend of student dissatisfaction.
The student congress listed nine “charges” against Yang Yin Yu, announcing the revocation of her presidency, sealing off the president’s office, expelling her from the school, and doing everything possible to prevent Yang Yin Yu from entering the school.
As the dignified president of a university, Yang Yin Yu had to rent an office outside of the school and seek help from the Ministry of Education. After a confrontation, Yang Yin Yu wrote a notice outside of the school forbidding six members of the Women’s Normal University Student Congress, including Liu Hezhen and Xu Guangping, who later became Lu Xun’s mistress.
Xu Guangping and others refused to accept this dismissal, tore down the notice and continued with classes as usual, showing a domineering attitude reminiscent of the future Red Guards. In order to uphold the dignity of the school, Yang Yin Yu decided to have the police escort her back to the campus office by force.
In the midst of this turmoil, Lu Xun stood on the side of the students, fiercely criticizing Yang Yin Yu. In his writings, he used cruel words like “widow running a school” and “unhappy before becoming a widow” to personally attack her, even accusing her of “ordering police to assault, cutting off food.” This narrative spread widely and was even believed by the official website of Beijing Normal University.
But was this really the case? Li Siguang, then head of the Geology Department at Peking University, witnessed the incident firsthand and stated that it was not the students being beaten, but the patrolmen being disarmed and detained by female students, kept under surveillance by them, making them scared like “dogs.”
In August 1925, Yang Yin Yu attempted to return to the campus office escorted by the police, but was attacked by students with bricks and clubs. Li Siguang described how Yang Yin Yu sternly ordered the police not to use force, bravely faced the insults of the students, trying to calm the situation.
Li Siguang lamented how the ordinarily gentle and cultured female students had become abusive toward the principal. He said, “Pity our most respected young ladies, why did they have to stoop so low.”
For speaking a few fair words for Yang Yin Yu, Li Siguang was targeted for her “ally” and “comrade.” He responded, “If I had a position at the Women’s Normal University or was an ‘educator’ or a socially respected person, based on that day’s situation, even if I were considered an ally of Mr. Yang, I would still not be a person.”
Lu Xun’s attack on Yang Yin Yu may not have been entirely out of good intentions.
At that time, Yang Yin Yu had a rule that teachers were not to hold other positions and students were not to have overly intimate relationships with teachers. Lu Xun held an official position at the Ministry of Education and was also employed at the Women’s Normal University, where he developed a romantic relationship with his student, Xu Guangping, clearly going against school regulations.
Moreover, Lu Xun also had a heated debate with the Minister of Education at the time, Zhang Shizhao. Zhang Shizhao held a high position and advocated for intellectual freedom without suppressing Lu Xun. However, as a civil servant, Lu Xun incited the student movement and Zhang Shizhao eventually removed him from his position. Refusing to accept this decision, Lu Xun appealed to the court.
According to the law at the time, the dismissal of civil servants required presidential approval before filing, which Zhang Shizhao did not follow. In March of the following year, the court ruled that Zhang Shizhao’s handling of Lu Xun’s case had procedural issues, and therefore overturned the decision, resulting in Lu Xun winning the case.
Under immense pressure, Yang Yin Yu resigned in September 1925, and the Ministry of Education approved her request. By the end of the year, a new Minister of Education took office, quickly reinstating Lu Xun and appointing him as a professor in the Department of Chinese Literature at Women’s Normal University.
Meanwhile, Yang Yin Yu sadly left the school she had managed.
On March 18, 1926, the “March 18 Tragedy” broke out. The Beiyang Government fired upon protesting students, resulting in the death of 47 people, including students, civilians, police, and government guards. Among the deceased was Liu Hezhen, who had been previously dismissed by Yang Yin Yu.
Lu Xun, in his article “In Memory of Ms. Liu Hezhen”, vehemently condemned the culpable military authorities, but also criticized Yang Yin Yu, calling her a “firmly-wingspanned principal,” creating an image of her being dictatorial and authoritative. However, in reality, Yang Yin Yu had long left Women’s Normal University by that time, and if she truly had such power, perhaps leaving the university should not have been her fate.
Moreover, if those students had listened to Yang Yin Yu’s advice, focused solely on their studies, and ignored the Communist Party’s propaganda, would they have ended up losing their lives at such a young age?
After leaving Women’s Normal University, Yang Yin Yu did not succumb. She went to Suzhou, teaching at several universities and founding a women’s academic society, dedicated to women’s education.
In 1937, Japanese troops occupied Suzhou, committing atrocities. Unable to bear it any longer, Yang Yin Yu personally went to the Japanese military camp, delivering a protest in fluent Japanese, condemning the Japanese for violating international law.
Her demeanor and courage startled the Japanese troops, forcing them to return some of the looted property. When local young women heard about it, they began to see the Women’s Academic Society as a refuge. Yang Yin Yu exhausted her savings, expanded the housing, and sheltered these women.
Of course, the Japanese troops did not want this to happen, so they attempted to requisition Yang Yin Yu’s residence. However, Yang Yin Yu firmly refused.
On New Year’s Day in 1938, two Japanese soldiers, under the pretext of “seeing the officer,” took Yang Yin Yu away and killed her.
At just 53 years olds, Yang Yin Yu met her end in this way.
Her body was placed in a rudimentary coffin, with a roughly nailed unmilled wooden plank on the outside. Yang Jiang mournfully said that this coffin seemed to symbolize the tumultuous life of her aunt.
And so, the story of the first female university president in China ends here. What are your thoughts on the story between Yang Yin Yu and Lu Xun? Do you think Lu Xun’s assessment of Yang Yin Yu was objective? Feel free to leave your comments.
– “The True Story of a Century” Production Team