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 A Firm Patriot

Ji Xianlin is a firm and faithful patriot who show enormous love for the magnificent mountains and rivers, the long history, and rich culture of his motherland. He once said, "Even when I am burned down to ashes, my love for China will not change."

When he was studying in Tsinghua University, he joined the ranks in petitioning Chiang Kai-shek to fight against the Japanese invaders inNanjing(of East China'sJiangsu Province), and went to the countryside to promote patriotism.

Even in the dark times during the fascist reign, Ji, with an empty stomach, still continued to work hard in subjects such as Greek, Latin, and Sanskrit. When he got an "A" in all his PhD subjects, Ji said, "I haven't disgraced my country; my scores are the only comfort that I can give to my motherland."

Soon after returning to China, Ji Xianlin began to work in Peking University and since then has engaged himself in applying his patriotism into the teaching and research profession to pay back to his country, starting numerous new research topics and devoting himself to academic research, proudly finishing 40 articles and 13 academic papers within three years.

Setting his heart on serving the country with his academic achievements, Ji started to translate the world famous Indian epic Ramayana in secret. After five years of strenuous work, he finally finished translating the 80,000-line epic into Chinese, erecting a monument in the history of China's translation and Sino-Indian cultural exchange.

Once the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) ended, Ji, feeling completely refreshed and revitalized, again committed himself to academic writing. During his later academic years, Ji published 11 academic books and over 200 papers, accomplishing brilliant achievements in more than ten academic fields, including Chinese cultural research, comparative literature, and Sanskrit.

 Ji Xianlin's Philosophy

Preoccupied with research and writing, Ji has paid little attention to his health and daily life over the recent years. As a result, he is plagued with many health problems, and was once threatened with eyesight loss. In the summer of 2002, he was hospitalized for a complicated skin disease. However, throughout all these problems, he has remained focused on his writing.