The Bee King of China is available at: Amazon
买 邦家之光-华绎之先生传记
中国买书网,
或是 contact synerchipublishing@gmail.com
Hua Yizhi (1893-1956) was a pioneer in Chinese modern agricultural development, the father of Chinese scientific apiculture, and a dedicated educator, providing modern education to his home town. He was a renowned industrialist and a philanthropist of the Wuxi region. With a nimble hand and a keen eye, Hua Yizhi became a famous calligrapher and important art collector. His story covers mainly the period from the turn of the twenty's century to Japanese invasion of China. From his interesting family history, one could see that even though he was an orphan in his early teens, his character and drive was a continuation of his family's tradition and the fruit of classical moral training which was still prevalent at that time. The story is also a tribute to the spirit of many compatriots of Hua during those turbulent years who, without a stable government, undertook leadership roles and dedicated their lives to bring stability and progress to their home town. There are many interesting episodes and obstacles Hua encountered in his benevolent endeavors in agriculture and education.
The budding of Communism in the 1920s, and its effect on the Chinese countryside, is extremely well-documented and an interesting history rarely talked about in other publications. In order to achieve historical veracity, the author conducted years of research and drew on a wide-ranging of sources to collect all the concrete facts and let them speak for themselves. The historical facts indicate that Yizhi's contributions to agriculture far exceed his record as an industrialist. In the author's opinion, Hua Yizhi was a historic pioneer in the natural sciences. Hua Yizhi relocated to Taipei in 1948, but his roots remained in Wuxi; he deeply believed in the historical inevitability of peaceful reunification. On April 7, 1956, he died of a cerebral hemorrhage. Yizhi believed that prosperity of the motherland was the basic guarantee of a flourishing hometown, and that a strong connection bound the hearts of people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.
Comment:
Hua Yizhi was both a remarkable man and the product of a unique society in a remarkable time. Heir to a family tradition of classical study, literary and artistic excellence, and local social engagement and leadership that endured for several centuries, he melded the values inherited from this tradition with the perspicacity of a modern agrarian entrepreneur. Surviving both the loss of his parents and the cataclysmic political events of the early 20th century in the small town of Dangkou in Eastern China, he expanded on the recent commercial, educational, and charitable successes of his grandfather's generation to become one of the region's most respected advocates of scientific and socially responsible rural development. A pioneer of scientific beekeeping in China as well as a sponsor of universal modern and progressive education in rural communities, he not only earned the nickname of "China's Bee King" but also helped chart his community's path through the darkest years of war and social violence to a more hopeful future. Cao Zhi Ding deserves credit for his devoted attention to factual detail, based on both archives and interviews, in balancing his abundantly evident respect for Hua Yizhi and bringing his story to life.
Jerry Dennerline
Professor of History and Asian Studies
Amherst College