One Village Produces Scholars and Entrepreneurs

Of all the small rural villages in the south of the Yangtze River Delta， Digang is the most awe-inspiring. Unlike the small rural towns in western Hunan Province depicted by writer Shen Chongwen in his timeless essays， Digang looks peaceful and soothing. What inspired awe in me was the history engraved on the grand residences in the river village. The past glory and splendor in these great architectural structures can still be detected from the remnants. I learned from villagers during the recent visit to Digang that most of these big houses were erected and owned by the Zhang family， Wu family and Zhu family， the big three of the village.

The Zhang Family

The Zhang family migrated from Shaoxing into Digang. Thanks to a man from the family who became a government official through the imperial examination system， the Zhang grew into an influential family in the village. Zhang Hongzhao (1877-1951)， born in Digang， is one of the founding fathers of China’s modern geology. Many big names in the history of China’s geology were his students. Zhang Zongxiang and Zhang Zongyuan are also influential members of the Zhang family in Digang. A graduate from California University， Zhang Zongyuan worked as government official for both Qing Dynasty and the Republic. His brother Zhangxiang is however viewed as a black sheep of the family. He signed on an international treaty in Paris in 1919 on the behalf of the Chinese government. The traitorous treaty angered the whole nation and touched off the May 4th movement， a milestone in the modern history of China. As Zhang Zongxiang brought humiliation to China in general and to the family in Digang in particular， he was kicked out from the family in May 1919 and his property in Digang was confiscated.

Zhang Rongchu from Digang was a national industrialist; Zhang Hongchun was a lieutenant general during the Republic years; Zhang Kaiyuan， an expert of the history of the 1911 Revolution， is a professor with Central China Teachers University.

Zhang Jincai， the CPC chief of Digang， is also a member of the Zhang family. He told me that the most legendary descendant of the Zhang family is probably Robert Tchang， a member of the royal house of Sweden. The local people did not know his existence until they learned that he would come back in search of his ancestral roots in Digang.

After scholars in Huzhou did a hasty research through their bookshelves and family history books available， local people figured out who Robert Tchang was and who his ancestor was.

Robert Tchang in Sweden is the grandson of Zhang Zushen. Born in Digang in 1876， the young Zhang Zushen as a boy with academic brilliance. After his father died when he was 17， he dropped his school education for a while and worked to support his younger brother to study in a modern school in Shanghai. The family’s finance became better when he was in early 20s. So he turned to academic studies again. In 1900 he became a provincial graduate and four years later he became a metropolitan graduate， the top honor for a scholar in the central empire. That year he was 29. His career as a diplomat for China began. He served as a Chinese diplomat in Russia and Holland before he became the Chinese ambassador to Belgium. In 1920， he was appointed Chinese ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to both Sweden and Norway.

Zhang Zushen married a Swedish girl and the couple had a son. Zhang Zushen came back to China and died of a disease in his prime years， leaving the son behind in Sweden in the care of a Chinese diplomat. The son grew up and married a movie actress in Sweden and they had a son. The father died young and the wife married a member of the royal house of Sweden， bringing the young son into her second marriage. The young son is Robert Tchang. That’s how he became a member of the royal house.

The wealthy members of the Zhang family chipped in and built Nantiao Wonderland in Digang in the 18th century. The name may sound flowery， but it was a garden residence and housed a private school， the first one in the village. The buildings in the garden were dismantled over decades of the 20th century， but a pond and a foundation of a large hall can still be seen today.

The Wu Family

Unlike the Zhang family which produced many scholars and scholar-turned government officials through the imperial examination system， the Wu family became prominent through its hard-earned fortune. A local saying in Digang compares the Zhang family and the Wu family this way: The Zhangs have millions but the Wus’ wealth is countless. However， the richest members of the Wu family are forgotten today， but Wu Zaoxue， a poverty-stricken scholar， is still well remembered.

Wu Zaoxue (1880-1951) was a scholar in the late years of the Qing Dynasty. An artist， he made a living by teaching and selling his artworks. In the early years of the Japanese invasion， he stayed in Shanghai. He came back to Digang in 1940. He refused to visit Huzhou during that time， for he hated to see Japanese soldiers there. He swore that he would not visit Huzhou until China was free of Japanese invaders. After the victory of Chinese resistance war against Japanese aggression， Wu Zaoxue was elected Wuxing County councilor.

The Wu family in Digang goes back to very ancient times. Their biggest cultural contribution to the river village is the religious temples. The earliest temples in Digang were built by the Wu Family. Yanjiao Temple， built in 955， was constructed by the Wu family. From the Song Dynasty (960-1279) on， it was a center of Buddhism in the south of Huzhou. The temples built by the Wu family also included Taoist temples and Confucius temples.

I learned from some descendents of the Wu family that the village used to be a paradise for scholars who came here to seek a reclusive and comfortable life from the madding world. In the Chinese history， many scholars escaped into Buddhism and Taoism after their ambition was frustrated. But not many stayed in temples in remote mountains. After all， a life in a remote area was unbearable. Digang offered them a life of comfort far away from anywhere. Some people believe Digang used to represent a perfect life philosophy.

The Zhu Family

Compared with the Zhangs and the Wus， the Zhu family looks nothing great. The family came to Digang in the last years of the Ming Dynasty or the early years of the Qing Dynasty. Over a period of 300 years， the family grew and produced some officials， scholars and entrepreneurs. They say they are the descendents of Zhu Xi， a great philosopher of the Southern Song Dynasty.

In modern history of Digang， the Zhu family produced two influential figures. One is Zhu Weishen (1910-1987) and the other is Zhu Wulou. A man of letters， Zhu in his early years founded two literary organizations and published collections of poetry and essays. He was also a founding father of Huzhou News， a local newspaper. In the Chinese resistance war against Japanese aggression， he joined the army and battled the invaders. As an established calligrapher， Zhu inscribed names of businesses and schools in Huzhou. In 1979 he wrote an inscription for Huzhou Middle School.

Zhu Wulou went to Shanghai to work as an apprentice at a bank. He worked from the bottom up to the top. In 1917 he was elected the president of Shanghai Bankers Association. He was father-in-law of Chen Guofu， a founding member of the KMT， a political party in power for decades in China in the 20th century and in Taiwan for decades after 1949.

Hongzhi Hall was where Zhu Wulou used to live. The residence was destroyed in a fire in the 1990s， but the gate and the eastern wing can still be seen today. The Chen’s Cuisine， which represent the most popular dishes on the menu of Digang Fish Restaurant， a prosperous business in Digang， is said to have come from a descendent of the Zhu Family.

A stroll along narrow riverside stone-paved roads through the village gives a sense of peace. Old people lounge in front of their houses or engage themselves in some handiworks. In the morning， the teahouse buzzes with conversations and tea fragrance. Old villagers sit around wooden tables and chat. Shu Yi， a writer， commented after his visit to Digang that it was a pure land not yet discovered by the world.

A glance into the history of the river village would reveal that the river Shangri-La produced 50 plus cosmopolitan graduates and 100 plus provincial graduates and other scholars at various levels in its long history. The three families still flourish in Digang and they will surely shine in the future. Don’t be surprised if next time you find out that someone surnamed Zhang or Wu or Zhu is from Digang， a land of poetic life and many wonders. □