Zhu Qiqian is the founder of ancient Chinese architecture. In 1917, Zhu Qiqian discovered a manuscript of Li Jie's "Building Methods" in the Jiangnan Library in the Song Dynasty, and commissioned the Commercial Press to print it in a lithographic version. At the same time, a copy of the Song Dynasty version was published in Beijing. After that, people were organized to make annotations for the book "Engineering Practices of the Qing Dynasty Ministry of Industry". In 1930, Zhu Qiqian received funding from the China Education and Culture Foundation Board of Directors to establish the "China Construction Society" and served as its president. There is a literature group and a French style group. Zhu Qiqian concurrently serves as the director of the literature group, and architect Liang Sicheng serves as the director of the French style group. The Architecture Society is the earliest academic group to study traditional Chinese architectural styles and designs, laying the foundation for ancient Chinese architecture.
The China Construction Society was founded in 1930 and ceased operations in 1937 due to the fall of Peiping. During this period, he successively published "Transactions of the Chinese Construction Society", "Records of Construction Sections", "Illustrated Research on Palace Gardens in the Yuan Dynasty", "Construction Examples", "Arcade Examples", "Qing Style Construction Rules", " Books and periodicals such as "Zi Ren's Legacy", "Zhejiang Lu", "Tongzhi's Reconstruction of the Old Summer Palace" and other books and periodicals. Zhu Qiqian commented: “The China Architecture Society has a value that endures in history and in art.” Zhu Qiqian was nearly thirty years older than Zhou Enlai. Both of them served as prime ministers in different eras, and Zhou Enlai respected Zhu Qiqian. , Zhu Qiqian admired Zhou Enlai.
One evening in the late autumn of 1957, Zhou En came to visit Zhu Qiqian at No. 111 Dongsiba Tiao. Zhou Enlai said that he saw an inscription in Beidaihe with the name of his uncle Zhou Jiachen on it, and asked Zhu Qiqian if he knew it. Zhu Qiqian said: "In the second year of the Republic of China, when I was the director-general of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and held a training class for county governors, your uncle was my disciple. He was serving as governor of Linyu County at that time." Zhou Enlai smiled and said, "Then you are older than me. Two generations later, I am the same generation as Zhang Wenjin (Zhu Qiqian’s grandson).”
During the conversation, Zhu Qiqian often interrupted Zhou Enlai’s conversations because of his deafness, and his family waved to him. When Zhou Enlai saw it, he said: "Don't stop him, let the old man say it!"
Zhu Qiqian was worried about being cremated after his death, so he asked Zhou Enlai: "Didn't the country say that people have freedom of belief? I don't want to be cremated. After my death, I was buried in Beidaihe, where my step-wife Yu’s tomb is. I’m afraid that I won’t be able to do it in the future, so I told you, please help me do it!” Zhou Enlai replied loudly: “I will definitely help you do it. , you believe me, don't worry!" Zhu Qiqian showed a happy smile on his face.
Zhu Qiqian said to his family: "The Prime Minister is one of the few outstanding politicians I have met at home and abroad, and he is also a good leader in governing our country. It is a pity that I was born at the wrong time, 30 years early. , if I had met such a good leader at that time, I would have been able to do what I wanted to do but couldn’t do before.”
Note:
①Guangliang Gate is Beijing. The highest-ranking gate in a courtyard house is the gate used by officials and officials of considerable rank.
② The hanging flower door is often used as the second door in the ground floor and courtyard buildings, and plays a role in connecting and separating the inner house and the outer house.
③ Kesi, instant silk, one of the traditional Chinese silk crafts, flourished in the Song Dynasty.