Gazing at the Stars with Your Feet on the Ground

On March 10, five JI students from the Communist Party Student Branch participated in a one-day event called “Gazing at the Stars with Your Feet on the Ground” to tour the Qian Xuesen Library in Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

In October 2005, fifty years after Qian Xuesen, the founding father of China’s aerospace industry, left the America to come back to China at the peak of his career, the Chinese government approved the construction of a library in his honor at SJTU, his alma mater. The library was opened with a formal ceremony on December 11, 2011 , Qian Xuesens’ 100-year birthday. Unfortunately, Qian missed the great occasion because he had passed away in 2009.

Qian Xuesen Library is situated in the Xuhuei campus of SJTU, with an area of 7,000 square meters. The design of the red-brown building is simple and clean, reflecting Qian’s down-to-earth personality. His kind face, etched on the east façade, greets visitors with a warm smile.

Inside the library, there is the world’s most comprehensive collection of Qian’s works, documents, books, and memorabilia, which showcases his lifetime achievements, scholar spirit, moral character, and patriotism. The collection is exhibited in a systematic way using state-of-the-art multi-media.

The library comprises four themes:

1. “The Founder of China’s Aerospace Industry” shows Qian’s hardship in developing China’s own missiles, nuclear bombs, rockets, and satellites. A model of a wind tunnel that he helped design catches people’s eyes.

2. “The Pioneer of Advanced Science” exhibits his manuscripts of breakthrough papers, covered with complex mathematics formulae, elaborate illustrations of innovative ideas, and his books “Engineering Cybernetics” in different languages.

3. “The Scientist of the People” highlights his love for China and disdain for power and fame. A letter asking for help of repatriation and a few third-class ship tickets recount the saga of how he fought the Americans who had detained him to return to China in 1955.A threadbare briefcase that he had used for 40 years reveals his frugality.

4. “The Road to Success of a Strategic Scientist” tells the story of Qian’s youth, study, and broad interests in and knowledge of various fields. He read ferociously. The students were amazed by the sheer volume of his readings that cover two walls of the library.

After the tour, the students also watched Qian’s documentary film “Gazing at the Stars,” which includes precious historical clips and interviews with Qian, his wife Jiang Ying, and son Qian Yongang. The film begins with a young Qian gazing at the stars and dreaming of flying, followed by his study and work in the U.S., his determination to serve China, and ends with his lifetime accomplishments.

Before his return to China in 1955, Qian wrote, “I will try my best, along with the Chinese people, to build our country, so that every Chinese can live a happy life with dignity.” The JI students who took this library tour were deeply moved by this quote and were inspired to follow in Qian’s footsteps.