Fabulous four, the guiding lights
Li Xing China Daily  Updated: 2005-10-20 05:34

I have written and edited a number of obituaries over the past several months.

The work has allowed me to dig into the lives of such personages as sociologist Fei Xiaotong, journalist Israel Epstein, artist Qi Gong and writer Ba Jin. The last died on Monday at the age of 101 in Shanghai.

Each of them pursued different careers and they had few chances to cross each other's paths.

However, they experienced the same political and social ups and downs but maintained the same professional dedication and the same passion and pursuit of truth or learning.

While studying the lives of ethnic minorities living in Guangxi, Fei almost lost his life while scaling the mountains. That was in the 1930s, when there were hardly any roads in the remote hilly regions.

Epstein, in the meantime, braved through battles in the frontline or possible betrayals in the enemy's rear to report the people's war against the Japanese invaders first-hand.

Ba Jin worked diligently with his pen, with every novel of his carrying "my cry in my pursuit of light..."

Qi Gong, hard up as a result of poverty, worked doubly hard to be able to delve into classical Chinese learning and to find his own artistic expression.

They did not set out for fame.

And only through their devotion and hard work and even sacrifices, they attained the high professional goals they set out in sociology, journalism, classical Chinese scholarship and literature.

Meanwhile, each retained his own personal qualities.

Take Ba Jin for example. He was so sincere and so daring in speaking the truth that his self-criticism and soul-searching about the "cultural revolution" (1966-76) exerted far-reaching influence upon Chinese intellectuals and the "conscience of the nation."

That's why they secured prominent places in the pantheon of modern China.

However, their achievements and academic and cultural values sadly are highlighted only around the days of remembrance.

Then their stories, the historical events they experienced, are quickly forgotten, or worse, buried. The public is bombarded with many more media tales of "stars," who achieve instant fame and money or who tumble off from what the media assume to be their career zenith.

The media have made excuses for their enthusiasm to promote the rich and instant achievers. One argument goes that the public needs such spicy stories, and another avers that those stories sell better and attract more advertisements.

It is true that life has improved dramatically for us Chinese. Fierce market competition has forced many people to become more practical about attaining their life's goals. They need kaleidoscopic views of society to lighten up their routine and relax.

But the media still have the responsibility to establish role models, especially for the younger generations.

In a time of changes and a somewhat blind drive for modernization and fashion, we are already losing many things intrinsic of the fine Chinese culture and tradition.

The classical architecture and the old neighbourhoods are giving way to so-called state-of-the-art structures or skyscrapers.

Professional integrity, scholarly honesty, artistic and literary originality are also being violated as we hear about plagiarism, cheating during examinations, fraudulent practices and piracy.

The media and the society as a whole have yet to help create a broader social consensus that values scholarship and learning and honours established professional ethics, truth and genuine innovation.

People must be forced to think hard before they cheat, plagiarize or fake.

Acts that damage or destroy historical monuments and cultural heritage - including the tangible and intangible social fabric woven around them - should be condemned.

Only by creating and enhancing such a social and cultural setting will we and our posterity be able to carry forward the fine academic and professional work as well as superb scholarship and literature represented by the four great personages.

Email: lixing@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 10/20/2005 page4)