Huang Xianfan

Huang Xianfan was born on 13 November 1899 in the town of Qujiu in Fusui County, Guangxi province, Qing dynasty. His original name was Gan Jinying, and he was later renamed Huang Xianfan after the Huang family adopted him.[2]

Huang's father, Gan Xinchang, was a Zhuang farmer and a stern disciplinarian according to Huang, who had a background in classics which allowed him to introduce Huang to various texts when Huang was six years old.

According to his autobiography, his intellectual gifts were recognized as a child by his uncle. Because of this, from an early age he was sent by his family to study the Confucian classics. Huang described his father as a stern disciplinarian. Huang's father sent the 9-year-old Huang to a traditional Chinese school where he studied Confucian classics, like Four Books and Five Classics, in order to pass the Imperial examination.[6]

However, as a teenager he was dissatisfied by the scholastic system of his time, especially its emphasis on writing eight-legged essays. Huang later admitted that he didn't the Confucian classics, favouring instead history books such as Records of the Grand Historian. At the age of 14, Huang Xianfan was educated at Qusi Primary School. At 18, Huang moved to a higher primary school in nearby Quli, where he was bullied because of his peasant background.[7]

In 1922, he entered Guangxi Third Normal college. In 1926, he entered Beijing Normal University and was taught by the famous tutors Chen Yuan and Qian Xuantong. It was there over nine years that he had completed his diploma, bachelor and postgraduate courses, writing a series of academic papers and books in classical Chinese on ancient history, Chinese society, politics, economy, culture, religion and folk customs, as well as translating the history of various countries into Chinese.

While studying at Beijing Normal University, Huang still taught language and history at a Beijing private high school. With his students, he set up Beilei Xueshe (蓓蕾學社), an academic group and press in 1932, which published academic books.[8]

In 1935, he went to Japan and studied at Tokyo Imperial University and was taught by the famous Japanese historian tutors, Sei Wada (和田清) and Katou Shigeru (加藤繁, Katō Shigeru).

In November 1937 he returned to China to teach history as a professor in Guangxi, Sun Yat-sen University as well as in Guilin and Guangxi Normal University, and devoted himself to the study of Chinese anthropology and folklore. He was the first university professor of Zhuang nationality in China[9] and first university professor of Chongzuo city.[10] During his academic career, he was assigned as a researcher in Guangxi Educational Institute, he was a dean of the Chinese department, and a curator in Guangxi University. He also worked as a director of the library in Guangxi Normal University.

When the People's Republic of China was founded in 1949, Professor Huang Xianfan was elected as a director of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries in its first congress. He was then the only representative from Guangxi cultural and educational circles. After 1954, he was elected as a representative of the first National People's Congress, a committeeman of Ethnic Affairs Committee of NPC, and a committeeman of International Culture Liaison Committee of CPC.[11] Meanwhile, he had also been elected as a committeeman of the People's Government of Guixi Zhuang Nationnality Autonomous Region[12] and the committeeman of the Council of Guangxi province.

During the “Hundred Flowers Campaign” thaw of 1956–57, he opposed the Communist Party's education policy. But then the climate suddenly changed with the “Anti-Rightist Movement". In 1957, Huang stood with head bowed before countless assemblies to confess his "crimes toward the people". Hundreds of articles attacked him, not a few by colleagues, some viciously dishonest. On 1 February 1958, a resolution was made in the fifth session of the first National People's Congress, that Mr.Fei Xiaotong, Huang Xianfan and Ou Bai Chuan were removed from their memberships of the Ethnic Committee of NPC.[13] He was wrongly classified as among "five rightist historians" (Huang Xianfan, Xiang Da, Lei Haizong, Wang Zhongmin, Chen Mengjia), and became one of biggest "rightists" in Chinese history circles.[14] After the outbreak of the Cultural Revolution, he was abused and physically attacked by Red Guards, forced to clean toilets. Huang became an outcast, humiliated, isolated, academic research unable to publish.[15]

In 1979, the Chinese government has corrected all the wrong identities of the so-called bourgeois rightists. Professor Huang Xianfan was then posted as a counselor of Chinese Ethnic Association, an ethnic editor for the Encyclopedia of China (Zhōngguó Dà Bǎikē Quánshū), a counselor of Institute for Studies on Chinese Southwest Minorities, and a vice-chairman of institute for studies on Chinese Baiyue Ethnic History.[16] Later on he was elected as a committee member of the fifth congress of CCPPCC, and during this period, he had assisted Chinese government with a lot of corrections for the wrong political cases.[17]

During his lifetime, Huang Xianfan had worked in many universities and taught a lot of students.[18] In his later years, he had founded Li Jiang Sparetime college, and worked as the head of this college. In November 1999, Guangxi Normal University had held a grand forum on professor Huang Xianfan's hundred years birthday. After the forum, the university edited and published two books——The thesis on the memory of professor Huang Xianfan's hundred years birthday and the introduction on Chinese ancient books—written by professor Huang Xianfan. Now Guangxi Normal University and Guilin high school have established their scholarships in memory of professor Huang Xianfan.[19]

Huang had two wives: Lanmei and Liu Lihua. They brought eleven children to Huang; all of them became successful individuals through Huang's strict and effective education. Two of them were professors at Chinese universities, including Huang Xiaoling, a prominent professor of medicine of Guangxi.[20]

Huang Xianfan formed a group to do ethnographic research in the border region of Guizhou-Guangxi in August 1943, and worked as the head of this group. Again, in April 1945, as a leader he formed another investigative group to research South Guizhou border dwellers. They conducted a lot of academic research in ethnic areas of Guizhou and Guangxi. By doing this, Huang became a pioneer of ethnic residence investigations.[21]

In June 1951, Huang Xianfan joined a central government ethnic mission led by Fei Xiaotong(Huang was vice leader and in Guangxi sub-group of the middlesouth delegation). They went to Guangxi ethnic areas for condolences and investigations. In March 1952, he went with his students to areas of Duan, Donglan and Nandan for investigation. In the summer of this year, they went to Chongzuo, Debao, Jingxi and Longluo of Fusui for field investigation.[22] They had collected a lot of historical relics from local headmen, which including materials of Nong Zhigao's uprising and the anti-qing dynasty movement led by Wu Lingyun and his son. In June 1953, Huang formed a historical relics investigation group from the cultural education bureau of the People's Government of Guixi Zhuang Nationality Autonomous Region in Guangxi University. As a leader, he led the group members to Nandan, Tiane, Hechi, Luocheng and Yicheng, They visited and investigated Yao, Maonan, Miao, Zhuang and Mulao minorities, and collected many historical relics and materials.

Guangxi Normal University (Jingjiang Princes City) – Professor Huang Xianfan had worked here for over thirty years

In March 1954, Huang went to Gui county to make a field investigation and collect Zhuang ethnic's living condition and historical and revolutionary materials of Huang Dingfeng and Taiping rebellions that took place in Gui County.

On 19 April 1954, under the instruction of Peng Zhen, a resolution was made at the March 31 conference, the Ethnic Committee of NPC made a document of primary scheme of investigation and research work on Chinese ethnics social and historical conditions in minorities areas. They decided to form several groups to investigate Chinese ethnics social and historical conditions, Yunnan group was led by Fei Xiaotong, Liu Guanying, joined by Fang Guoyu. Sichuan group led by Xia Kongnong, joined by Yang Xing and Hu Qingjun. North-west group led by Feng Jiasheng, joined by Chen Yongling.Guizhou group led by Wu ZeLing, joined by Liang Oudi. Guangdong and Hai Nan group led by Chen Jiawu. Guangxi group led by Huang Xianfan, Mo Qing. Xinjiang group led by Xinjiang working committee, joined by Li Youyi and Li Youzhai. Nei Meng and North-east group led by Qiu Pu and Weng Dujian. In the same year of August professor Huang took part in forming a group of investigation on Guangxi ethnics social history. He was vice group leader and head of Zhuang ethnic group, responsible for the whole group's academic investigation work. He led the group making a largest and deepest investigation on ethnic history and traditional culture in Guangxi history. They had collected a lot of valuable materials and laid a foundation for further research on Zhuang ethnic social and historical culture. That was a very important beginning for later development of Zhuang ethnic research and establishment of Guangxi institute of ethnic studies.[23] During three periods of ethnic identification work after 1949, Fei Xiaotong, Huang Xianfan, Xia Kangnong and a lot of academic masters and scholars from anthropology and ethnic study circles had made their great contributions. It was upon this research work of national ethnic identification that the State Council could be able to announce there are 56 ethnics in China. This was also a pioneering contribution to Chinese ethnic studies. In the meantime, the world ethnic study circles had noticed this and gave very high comments.[24] This was the reason that ethnic study circles called professor Huang a founder of modern Chinese ethnology.[25]

In July 1978, Huang formed a field investigation team and went to Nongzhou, Pingxiang, Ningming and Congzuo district. They collected a lot of valuable historical materials and studied the mountain frescos of Ningming in situ.

In November 1979, Huang led a field investigation team to Baise, Tianyang, Tiandong and Bama districts to investigate and collect historical materials.

In March 1981, he went to Sichuan to attend the first national seminar on cliff coffin and made academic investigation and collect historical materials there.[26]

Huang Xianfan had always emphasized "the importance of independent academic research", and take pioneering studies, academic freedom as his lifelong aspirations. His academic principle was "keep honest and not obedient to the authorities". He believed that the motto of academic research was "no authorities, no ends, no prohibitions". Professor Chen Jisheng pointed out: "The connotation of Professor Huang's academic theory was to connect traditional Chinese history studies with western new history theory in order to complement his favorite Puxue of Qing dynasty, Gu Yanwu's historiography thought with modern American Robinson's "New History". Professor Huang had made a great academic contribution to the New History's Practice and Construction in China. His academic works are characterised in connecting western theory of evolution with traditional Chinese theory of Seeking Truth and The Past Serve the Present". Professor Huang's lifelong pursuit of academic research was Dialectical unity of historical philosophy and historical science.[27] Huang was consistently critical of works of Chinese general history that were published in the 20th century. He pointed out that those works were lacking descriptions of Chinese ethnicity, as if China's general history is the same as Han's general history. He was fighting the perception that China is only the equivalent of Han. He believed the riddance of the feudal concept ofchauvinism.[28] He publicly opposed dogmatizing, formulizing and regulating Marxism. In 1957, Huang advocated a theory of "lacking of slave society", later on, in 1979 he brought forward a famous academic view: "no slave society in Chinese history". His theory was warmly agreed by most scholars from history circles. They called him "leader of Wunu school".[29]

Huang Xianfan had consistently argued against ethnic chauvinism. He believed that crux of the ethnic problems was caused by ethnical inequity, which had a major influence on ethnical conflicts in history. Professor Huang advocated the equality of each ethnic of the world and a "spiritual civilization with scientific attitude" on ethnic studies. By active practice, he became a forerunner of Zhuang studies in the 20th century. People therefore called him the "father of Zhuang studies".[30] Based on this, he formed a Huang group of Zhuang studies and the famous Bagui School in Chinese history. The Huang group is a pioneering branch of the Chinese Bagui School of ethnology. It was formed in the 1950s and remains active. The Huang group members include Huang Xianfan and his 18 students, commonly referred to as the Huang Xianfan's 18 elite disciples. His students are professors or researchers work in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, most of whom work in the Guangxi Normal University and Guangxi University for Nationalities. This is an academic group from the Zhuang and Han scholars in combination. Zhuang scholars are Huang Xianfan, Huang Zengqing, Zhang Yiming, Li Guozhu, Su Guanchang, Li Ganfen, Zhou Zongxian, Qin Suguan, Zhou Zuoqiou, Huang Shaoqing, Huang Weicheng, He Yingde, He Longqun, Yu Shijie, Gong Yonghuei, Qin Deqing and Han scholars are Ou Yang Ruoxiou, Xiao Zechang, Zhou Zuoming in this group. The group members focus on the study of history, archeology, culture, folklore, education, literature, historical figures, Dulao system and Chieftain system of the Zhuang. As the all members of this group can speak minority languages, therefore, this group attaches great importance to the field survey. This is the significant academic characteristic of this group.[31]

The Bagui School is an academic group of ethnologists that gathered around Huang Xianfan. It emerged as a school at the Guangxi Normal University in China when Huang Xianfan became a committeeman of Ethnic Affairs Committee of NPC and head of group of investigation on Guangxi ethnics social history in the mid-1950s. It is active in the Chinese ethnology during the second half of the 20th century and up to present. The Bagui School is the first ethnic school in China. It was particularly dominated by professor Huang Xianfan. Many of its members were Zhuang people who loved and cared about their nationality. Members of the school were all scholars who researched the culture and history of Zhuang nationality in Guangxi, they are all from different universities and ethnic research institutes. As consistently opposed to the ethnical chauvinism, it builds its research on an entirely unconventional framework, which is advocated the equality of each ethnic of China and a'spiritual civilization with scientific attitude' on ethnic studies. Members of the school had a common attitude towards Zhuang nationality. Today, the Bagui school of China continues as a school of Ethnology, have spawned several branch schools which also researched the history of Zhuang nationality.

For this reason, Huang Xianfan was also honored by ethnic academic circles as a leader of Bagui School.[32]

Huang Xianfan's resting place - Guangxi Government Cemetery (The name of the Cemetery was inscribed written personally by Deng Xiaoping)

Huang Xianfan started his research on education when he was an assistant director of Institute for Education Studies in Beijing Normal University. He believed that one of the important meaning of education was to mold students healthy personalities, and knowledge-action unity was a base for doing this. In 1981, he had founded Li Jiang Sparetimecollege, and worked as the college's head master. He was then a forerunner of private sponsored high educational institute in China since 1949.[33] In his forty years teaching career, he always observed a principal aim of education for forming noble personalities. Mr Liang Chen Ye, the former vice chairman of Zhuang Autonomous Region of Guangxi had once commended that "professor Huang Xiafan had devoted his whole life to chinese high education and was a great master of education of his generation. He was very famous in modern Chinese history".[34] People call Huang Xianfan's family a family of educators,[35] for Mr. and Mrs. Huang and most of their children are teaching in schools or universities.