Unbroken Spirit - A Journey through Chinese Cultural Revolution
AAPI Youth Voices embarked on the journey of interviewing AAPI individuals with remarkable life stories and significant contributions to our society. The younger generations, born in the U.S., yearned to hear narratives that had remained untold, stories that transcended national borders. It is through this mutual understanding that we come together as one unified community.
The Life Story of Changshu Shen
Chengshu Shen was born in 1915 into a scholarly family in Beijing, China. At the age of 13, he began studying traditional Chinese landscape painting under the mentorship of Mr. Wang Shensheng and Mr. Wu Xiceng, renowned Chinese painters of the 1930s who were also key figures in the Peking Chinese Painting and Calligraphy Research Association. With their guidance, Chengshu Shen started visiting the Forbidden City to sketch ancient paintings collected from previous dynasties. By the age of 17, he had already held art exhibitions in Beijing.
Raised with both American and traditional Chinese values, Chengshu Shen distinguished himself in China in the 1930s. As the eldest son, his father had high hopes that Chengshu Shen would excel in his studies and uphold the family tradition of becoming a scholar. However, his father never imposed these expectations on him and allowed Chengshu Shen the freedom to make his own choices. Eventually, Chengshu Shen chose to abandon art in favor of studying engineering, embarking on a path dedicated to industrial development and the betterment of China during the War.
Chengshu Shen attended Peking Sicun Middle School, an American Catholic institution. He then pursued higher education at Shandong University in Qingdao, which was operated by the United States and Germany. At Shandong University, Chengshu Shen developed a passion for sports and became a standout athlete, excelling in the triple jump and javelin and earning recognition as the top athlete at the university.
When the Anti-Japanese War broke out, Chengshu Shen chose not to live under occupation and moved inland. Due to the wartime circumstances, he transferred to Zhejiang University, which had relocated to Guilin, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanics.
When Chengshu Shen graduated from the Department of Mechanics at Zhejiang University in 1940, he worked as a trainee technician at the Ford Motor Factory in Guiyang. Following the opening of the Burma Road, which enabled the United States to reach China’s western region, he met Peifen Huang, who had fled from Xiguan, Guangzhou because of the war. They got engaged on December 7, 1941, which was the day Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, a pivotal moment for the Chinese Theater of War. The entire nation of China was thrilled when the United States declared war on Japan following President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s speech. In June 1942, six months later, after the U.S. Navy’s decisive victory over Japan in the Battle of Midway, they celebrated their marriage.
Because Chengshu Shen attended a private school, which was operated by an American church and conducted its instruction in English, this led to his fluency in the language. The American boss of the Ford Motor Factory admired him for both his English proficiency and mechanical skills. Before returning to the United States, the boss invited Chengshu Shen to join him in America for a better life.
However, this invitation came during the most challenging period of the Anti-Japanese War. Chengshu’s father was in Beijing, an area under occupation, and after his mother’s death, he was left with the responsibility of caring for his five younger siblings, the youngest of whom was under 10 years old. As the eldest son, Chengshu Shen felt it was his duty to support his family. The deeply ingrained traditional values of loyalty and filial piety made it unthinkable for him to leave his suffering homeland, his compatriots, and his family to go abroad during the nation’s darkest days. He declined the offer to study in the United States and would not set foot on American soil until sixty years later.
During this difficult time, Chengshu Shen left the relatively better-off southwestern region and moved to Gansu, a poorer and more underdeveloped area, where he worked on designing and manufacturing China’s own oil mining machinery. He later returned to Chongqing due to a work transfer.
When the Chinese Cultural Revolution occurred, Chengshu Shen faced severe adversity. His imprisonment resulted from his outspoken views and disagreements with the party, compounded by “crimes” such as being an artist, speaking English, wearing Western suits, and having a solid education.
Chengshu Shen was labeled a “reactionary academic authority” and endured severe criticism and public struggle sessions. His house was confiscated as part of the persecution. During one such session, Chengshu Shen suffered from severe intestinal obstruction caused by muscle spasms due to extreme tension. He was curled up in pain, lying on the ground and groaning. Despite his condition, the ruthless Red Guard representative accused him of “pretending to be dead to avoid criticism” and continued the harsh treatment until colleagues from his workplace intervened and rushed him to the hospital, where he underwent surgery that saved his life.
After the Cultural Revolution, Chengshu Shen’s situation gradually improved. When the government established the Standards Bureau, he was appointed as the deputy director and chief engineer of the Shanxi Standards Bureau. Thanks to his valuable mechanical expertise, he continued to work until the age of 71 before retiring. Even after retirement, he remained active in honorary leadership roles with the Shanxi Association for Science and Technology and the Machinery and Standardization Association. He continued to write papers in the fields of machinery and standardization.
At the same time, Chengshu Shen fully dedicated himself to his passion for calligraphy and painting, producing more than 200 paintings and hundreds of calligraphy works. Following the tumultuous period of the Cultural Revolution, Mr. Shen not only resumed his engineering career but also reignited his passion for art. In 1996, he came to the United States, effortlessly conversing with local Americans in fluent English. He later took the initiative to host art shows in the United States, leaving a lasting legacy through his artistic contributions.
Chengshu Shen’s life is a testament to resilience and dedication. Despite facing severe adversity during the Cultural Revolution, he not only rebuilt his career in engineering but also achieved remarkable success in the arts. His contributions as an automotive engineer and his extensive body of artwork, displayed in both China and the United States, reflect a lifetime of commitment to excellence and creativity. Mr. Shen’s legacy endures through his professional achievements and artistic masterpieces, continuing to inspire future generations with his unwavering passion and resilience.
沈承书 ——坚韧不屈的精神遗产
沈承书于1915年出生于中国北京的一个书香世家。十三岁时，他开始师从二十世纪三十年代著名国画家王慎生先生和吴锡岑先生，学习中国传统山水画——他们也是北京中国书画研究会的重要人物。在他们的指导下，沈承书开始频繁光顾紫禁城，描摹前朝收藏的历代古画。十七岁时，他便在北京举办了画展。
由于受到美国和中国传统价值观的双重熏陶，沈承书在20世纪30年代的中国脱颖而出。作为长子，他的父亲非常希望沈承书能在学业上取得优异成绩，秉承书香门第的家族传统。然而，他的父亲从未将这些期望强加于他，而是让他自由地做出自己的选择。最终，沈承书决定放弃艺术，转而学习工程学，在那个战争年代走上了一条致力于产业发展和改造中国的道路。
沈承书就读于一家美国天主教学校——北京思聪中学。随后，他在位于青岛的国立山东大学接受了高等教育。该大学由美国和德国联合运营。在山东大学，沈承书培养了对体育运动的热情，成为一名杰出的运动员，擅长三级跳远和标枪，并被公认为该校的顶尖运动员。
抗日战争爆发后，沈承书不愿意留在敌占区，他转移到了内地。由于战时需要，他转到了浙江大学，并随着浙大转移到广西桂林，在那里他获得了机械专业学士学位。
1940年，沈承书毕业于浙江大学机械系，在贵阳福特汽车厂做见习技术员。随着滇缅公路的开通，美国得以进入中国西部地区，他结识了因战争而逃离广州西关的黄培芬。他们于1941年12月7日订婚。这一天，日本偷袭了美国珍珠港。这是世界反法西斯战争中国战区的一个关键时刻。美国总统富兰克林·罗斯福发表演讲后，美国对日本正式宣战，全中国为之欢欣鼓舞。1942年6月，也就是美国海军在中途岛海战中对日本取得决定性胜利的六个月后，他们举办了婚礼。
沈承书上过由美国教会开办的一所私立学校，而该校以英语授课，这使他能够非常流利地使用英语。福特汽车厂的美国老板钦佩他的英语水平和机械方面的技能。在返回美国之前，这位老板邀请沈承书跟他一起赴美，享受更好的生活。
然而，这一邀请正值中国抗日战争最为艰难时期。沈承书的父亲身在北京，一个被日本占领的白色地区，母亲去世后，他负责照顾五个弟弟妹妹，其中最小的还不到十岁。作为家里的长子，沈承书觉得养家糊口是他义不容辞的责任。根深蒂固的忠孝传统价值观使他基本无法在国家灾难深重之际离开祖国，离开自己的同胞，离开他的家人。他谢绝了赴美留学的邀请，直到60年后才踏上美国的土地。
在这段艰难时期，沈承书离开了生活相对富裕的西南地区，来到了位于大西北一个比较贫穷、欠发达的甘肃。在这里，他设计和制造了中国自己的石油开采设备。后来，他因为工作调动又重新返回重庆。
中国文化大革命爆发时，沈承书遭遇了极为严峻的人生逆境。因为他发表了一些直言不讳的言论，与共产党的路线、方针和政策存在分歧，再加上一些诸如艺术家、说英语、穿西装和受过良好教育等“罪过”，他被投入监狱。
沈承书被贴上“反动学术权威”的标签，遭受了严厉批评和公开批斗。作为迫害的一部分，他的房子被没收了。在一次这样的批斗会上，沈承书因为极度紧张而出现肌肉痉挛，并导致了严重的肠梗阻。他痛苦地蜷缩着，躺在地上呻吟。尽管他的身体出现如此严重状况，可那位冷酷无情的红卫兵代表却指责他“装死以逃避批斗”，并继续对他进行严厉批斗，直到他工作单位的同事介入并将他及时送往医院，在那里接受了手术，才救了他的一条性命。
文化大革命后，沈承书的处境逐渐好转。政府成立标准化管理局时，他被任命为山西省标准化管理局副局长兼总工程师。由于他宝贵的机械专业知识，他一直工作到71岁才光荣退休。即使在退休之后，他仍然在山西省科学技术协会和机械与标准化协会担任荣誉领导职务，继续在机械和标准化领域撰写相关论文。
与此同时，沈承书全身心投入到书画创作当中。他创作了二百余幅书画作品。在经历了文化大革命的冲击之后，沈承书不仅重新开始了他的工程技术生涯，还重新点燃了他对艺术的热情。1996年，他来到美国，非常流利地用英语与当地美国人进行交谈。后来，他主动在美国举办艺术展，通过他的艺术贡献留下了一笔经久不衰的文化遗产。
沈承书的一生证明了他的坚韧和奉献精神。尽管在文化大革命中遭遇了一段人生逆境，但他不仅在工程领域重建了自己的职业生涯，而且在艺术领域也取得了显著的成就。他作为一名汽车工程师的贡献和他在中国和美国展出的大量艺术品反映了他一生对卓越和创造力的承诺。沈先生的遗产通过他的专业成就和艺术杰作得以延续，并以他坚定不移的激情和韧性不断地激励着后人。
