On December 9th, 2023, Yuan Guolin, Class 1962, from the Department of Hydraulic Engineering, former Vice President of China Three Gorges Corporation, passed away at the age of 86 in Beijing due to an acute illness.
Yang Guolin comes from a family that has a deep bond with the university as eight family memebers are TJU alumni, spanning three generations devoting to hydraulic engineering. His story circulated among hundreds of thousands of Tianjin University alumni, and his strong attachments and unwavering commitments to the Alma Mater inspire TJU community to uphold and advance the university mission and legacy.
A Lifelong Journey by Rivers
Yuan developed an interest in hydraulics engineering at a very young age. Born in Shenzhai county, Hebei Province, in April 1937, he hailed from a family with a legacy rooted in hydraulic engineering: his father was a graduate of the Department of Hydraulic Engineering at Peiyang University (the predecessor of Tianjin University). Yuan still remembered his father taking him to Dong’an Market when he was in first grade and purchased a picture book titled The Story of Li Yizhi. Li Yizhi, a pioneer of China’s modern hydraulics, chronicled his efforts in water management in Shaanxi Province. This narrative captivated young Yuan Guolin, igniting his admiration for hydrologists.
After graduating from TJU, Yuan Guolin took on several engineering projects. This includes the the Haihe River harnessing project, which involves building reservoirs in Huangbizhuang, Zhuzhuang, Gangnan, and Yuecheng, as well as diverting the Luan River into Tianjin and Tangshan. Following this, Yuan dedicated a dcade to working on. the construction of the Three Gorges Project. It can be said that Yuan comined his lifelong passion for hydraulics with the aspirations of the nation and its people until his retirement at the age of 66. Even after retiring, he undertook the monumental task of chronicling the history of the Three Gorges Project.
Out of his 42-year career in hydraulic engineering, Yuan Guolin spent 37 years in fieldwork. He once reflected, “In China’s hydroelectricity community, I may be considered as a veteran, yet my recognition and fame remain modest”. In his later years, he tried to gain more insights into China’s hydropower development based on his life long experiences. He argued against turning rivers into lakes, altering river bays into embankments and rigidly pursuing river purification. Instead, he emphasized more on sustainable progress, and suggested that China should preserve several natural river courses and segments..
Three Generations of Tianjin University Alumni
On Tianjin University’s Weijin Road campus not far from the east gate lies the memorial stone of “Dreams Realized”. This stone was bestowed to Tianjin University to celebrate its 110th anniversary by Yuan Guolin, on behalf of the Three Gorges Corporation. It is one of the only two pieces of stones crafted from the granite core unearthed during the construction of the Three Gorges Project. For TJUers, the stone embodies that nation’s rejuvenation dream and serves as a source of inspiration for students to seize their academic opportunities and turn their aspirations into reality.
In 2013, during the university’s 10th World Alumni Congress, Yuan Guolin called on all alumni to donate 1,895 trees to the university to commemorate its founding in 1895. He personally donated 8 trees. Yuan Guolin once expressed that after realizing the “Three Gorges Dream”, he had many other dreams, among which the foremost was the aspiration for Tianjin University to nurture talents and ascend among the ranks of world-class universities.
Yuan Guolin loved his Alma Mater most ardently and got actively engaged in alumni association activities. In 2004, he became the President of the Beijing Alumni Association and made outstanding contributions to the development of both Tianjin University and the Beijing Alumni Association.
The university's motto of seeking truth from facts became the guiding principle throughout Yuan Guolin's life. He firmly believed that to build a great nation, we must promote industry and develop science and technology.
By 2015, the university motto has come into being for a hundred years. A commemorative ceremony was held at Tianjin University during which Yuan Guolin delivered a speech as an alumni representative. He shared how his father and uncle, both graduates of Peiyang University, had familiarized him with the motto from an early age. During the speech he emphasized, “We should not confine ourselves to the century-old fame of Tianjin University. The motto of 'Seeking Truth from Facts' should be infused with new content. Entering the 21st century, Tianjin University should ride with the times, aim for the forefront of global science and technology, and bravely scale new heights. Climbing the peaks of technology should not be rushed. It’s like hiking, requiring endurance, patience, and confidence, which is the essence of seeking truth”. He further stated, “We should not merely focus on nuturing so called social big figures, or emphasize too much about university rankings. I detest universities being compared in terms of wealth. In the journey toward realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, what we truly require is the spirit of practicality, capability, truth-seeking, and pragmatism”.
Today, on the Weijin Road campus, the memorial stone of “Dreams Realized” stands tall, while on the Peiyangyuan campus, the alumni forest never cower. This senior alumnus, whose soul remained entwined with Tianjin University throughout his days, surely finds solace in his beloved Alma Mater.
By Xie Qingyue
Editor: Eva Yin
