Fang Lizhi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Fang Lizhi
方励之
Fang Lizhi in 2010
Born	(1936-02-12)12 February 1936 Beijing, China
Died	6 April 2012(2012-04-06) (aged 76) Tucson, Arizona, U.S.
Alma mater	Beijing No.4 High School Peking University
Occupation	Astrophysicist
Known for	1986 Student Demonstrations
Spouse(s)	Li Shuxian ​ (m. 1961)​
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	方勵之
Simplified Chinese	方励之
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Fāng Lìzhī IPA [fáŋ lîʈʂí]

Fang Lizhi (Chinese: 方励之; pinyin: Fāng Lìzhī; February 12, 1936 – April 6, 2012) was a famous Chinese scientist. He was an astrophysicist, which means he studied space and the universe. He was also a vice-president at the University of Science and Technology of China.

Fang Lizhi was known for his ideas about freedom and democracy. These ideas inspired student movements in China in 1986–87 and the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989. Because of his activism, he was removed from the Chinese Communist Party in 1987. In 1989, he received the Robert F Kennedy Human Rights Award for his work. He was also a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, a top science group, but lost this position after 1989.

Early Life and Work in China

Fang Lizhi was born in Beijing, China, on February 12, 1936. His father worked on the railway. In 1948, when he was a student at Beijing No. 4 High School, he joined a secret youth group. This group was connected to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). He even built radios from old parts as a hobby.

In 1952, he started studying physics at Peking University. There, he met Li Shuxian (李淑娴), who would become his wife. Both Fang and Li were excellent students. After graduating, Fang joined the CCP. He began working on China's secret atomic bomb program. Li stayed at Peking University as a teacher.

Challenges and Hardship

In 1957, the CCP encouraged people to share their opinions during the Hundred Flowers Campaign. Fang, Li, and a friend planned to write a letter with suggestions about education. But the campaign ended suddenly, and the Anti-Rightist Campaign began. People who had shared opinions were called "rightists" and punished.

Even though their letter was unfinished, Fang, Li, and their friend confessed. Li was removed from the CCP and sent to do hard labor. Fang was also sent to do hard labor in Zanhuang, Hebei province. This was from December 1957 to August 1958.

In 1959, Fang was also removed from the CCP. In August 1958, he started teaching at the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC). In 1961, he married Li. Even after his difficult experiences, Fang wrote an article in the Guangming Daily. He encouraged students to think for themselves.

Scientific Work and the Cultural Revolution

Fang published his first science paper in 1961. He used a fake name because he was not allowed to publish under his own name. Later, he found a way to publish papers using his real name. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Fang studied particle physics, solid state physics, and laser physics. By 1965, he was a very productive physics researcher.

In 1966, the Cultural Revolution began, stopping many academic activities. In 1969, USTC was moved from Beijing to Hefei. Fang and other faculty members were sent to do hard labor in a coal mine. Fang secretly brought a physics book and learned about general relativity. Later, he worked in a brick factory, building the new USTC campus.

Exploring the Universe: Astrophysics and Cosmology

In 1972, scientific research slowly started again. Fang read new astrophysics papers from other countries. He soon wrote his first paper on cosmology, which is the study of the universe's origin and future. This was the first modern cosmology paper in mainland China. Fang gathered a group of young teachers to study astrophysics with him.

Risks and Recognition

Studying relativity and cosmology was politically risky in China then. These ideas were seen as going against the Communist Party's beliefs. For example, the Big Bang theory suggests space and time might be limited. This was different from the party's idea that they must be infinite. During the Cultural Revolution, there were even campaigns against Albert Einstein and his Theory of Relativity.

When Fang published his theory, some critics wanted to attack him politically. However, the "leftist" ideas were becoming less popular in Chinese science. Other famous astronomers supported Fang. Soon, many critics started studying relativity themselves. Fang became known as the father of cosmological research in China.

Fang wrote many papers on astrophysics and cosmology. In the late 1970s, he and his group used light from quasars to study how the universe expands. They suggested the universe might be "closed." This work was noticed by scientists worldwide. Fang also studied neutron stars, black holes, and inflation. He became internationally recognized.

In 1980, he was chosen as the youngest member of the Chinese Academy of Science. He helped set up international science meetings in China. In 1982, he helped organize a big international science conference. He also invited famous scientist Stephen Hawking to visit China in 1985. Fang was known as an excellent teacher. He wrote books that helped many students learn about physics and cosmology. His book, "Creation of the Universe," published in 1987, introduced basic ideas about the universe.

Activism for Freedom and Human Rights

During the Anti-Rightist Campaign, Fang was removed from the Chinese Communist Party. This was because he wrote an article that criticized the government's science education policies.

Later, in the late 1970s, China began to reform. Fang was allowed to rejoin the party. He held many important academic jobs. He was the director of astrophysics research at USTC and the chief editor of its academic journal. In 1984, Fang became the vice president of USTC. He was very popular with students.

Fang also started writing essays and giving talks outside USTC. He shared his ideas about politics, history, and criticized the CCP's rules. He believed that smart people had a duty to speak up for society. In late 1986, Fang and others suggested a meeting to remember the Anti-Rightist campaign.

Student Protests and Expulsion

In December 1986, college students in many Chinese cities protested. They wanted more economic and political freedoms. Fang believed the CCP would stop the protests. He tried to convince USTC students not to leave campus.

After two weeks of protests, Deng Xiaoping, a top leader, believed the student movement was caused by "Western ideas." He ordered three CCP members, including Fang, to be removed from the party. The CCP leader at the time, Hu Yaobang, refused to remove them. Because of this, Hu Yaobang was removed from his position in January 1987.

Fang was again removed from the Chinese Communist Party in January 1987. He also lost his job as vice president of the university. He moved to Beijing to work as a research scientist. His wife, Li Shuxian, was a professor at Peking University. Fang became even more famous after the CCP collected his essays and told its members to criticize them.

1989 Democracy Movement and Life in Exile

In February 1989, Fang asked many well-known thinkers to sign a letter to Deng Xiaoping. The letter asked for the release of human rights activist Wei Jingsheng from prison. Fang and his wife, Li, talked about Chinese politics with some Peking University students. These students later became leaders in the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989. However, Fang and Li did not actively join the protests themselves.

In February 1989, U.S. President George H. W. Bush visited China. The U.S. embassy invited Fang to a dinner Bush was hosting. But Chinese security stopped Fang and prevented him from attending.

Seeking Asylum and Leaving China

On June 5, 1989, the day after the government stopped the Tiananmen Square protests, Fang and Li sought safety at the U.S. embassy in Beijing. They were helped by a U.S. academic named Perry Link. Fang and his family were secretly brought into the embassy that night. The Chinese government then put Fang and Li at the top of their "wanted" list for people involved in the protests.

While in the U.S. embassy, Fang wrote an essay called The Chinese Amnesia. In it, he criticized the CCP's human rights actions. Fang and his wife stayed in the U.S. Embassy until June 25, 1990. They were then allowed by Chinese authorities to leave. They flew to Britain on a U.S. Air Force plane. This happened after secret talks between Henry Kissinger (representing President Bush) and Deng.

In 1989, he received the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award. In 1991, he spoke about Tibet in New York. He also advised the International Campaign for Tibet.

Later Life in the United States

After spending some time at Cambridge University and Princeton, Fang moved to Tucson, Arizona. There, he became a Professor of Physics at the University of Arizona. In his speeches, Fang talked about human rights and democracy. He also served on the board of Human Rights in China, an organization based in New York.

Fang continued his research in astrophysics and cosmology. He even published papers while he was in the U.S. Embassy in Beijing. His later research included studies on the cosmic microwave background and black holes. He continued to teach and guide students and scientists from China. He was very active in research until the end of his life, publishing many papers each year.

Death

The tombstone of Fang Lizhi in Tucson, Arizona.

Fang Lizhi passed away at his home in Tucson on April 6, 2012. He was 76 years old. He was buried on April 14 at East Lawn Palms Mortuary & Cemetery.

See also

• List of Chinese dissidents
• Richard Baum