“The only happiness in life is to keep moving forward.”
“People must keep learning, live until death, and learn until death.”
When someone praised him for "living to be old and learning to be old," he said unceremoniously: "Learning to be old is not enough."
At the age of 105, he was still auditing in the Chinese Department of Tsinghua University in Taiwan, preparing to enroll in another doctoral class.
Zhao Muche in the classroom
Age has always been just a number to him, because he never takes "oldness" seriously. This ordinary grandfather, with a With his fierce drive, perseverance, and hard work, he has done things that many of his peers would not even dare to think of, and even make young people feel inferior to them. He is the national idol of Taiwan, Zhao Muhe.
Zhao Muhe came to Taiwan when he was 40 years old, and later found a position at Kaohsiung Normal University until he retired at the age of 66. When his peers were shouting "It's finally easy" and starting to enjoy their old age step by step, his heart could not settle down. Just like Romain Rolland said: The heaviest burden in life is not work, but boredom. .
Zhao Muhe during his working life
When he was 75 years old, Zhao Muhe decided to go out for a walk and experience things. When his friends found out, no one dared to believe it: he was so old and his savings were so little. Unfortunately, I know Yes and No in foreign languages. Going abroad? Just kidding!
In response to this, Zhao Muche chuckled: "If traveling abroad requires a long time to prepare, understand the language, and have money, then I will never be able to go abroad for the next three lifetimes." Seeing that he had made up his mind, Some people also advised him to sign up for a tour group, but he shook his head firmly: "This is not fun!"
Zhao Muhe is not impulsive or willful, he just understands that as long as you want to do something, you will always do it. There are ways to overcome difficulties.
Zhao Muhe traveling in New Zealand
When traveling in Europe, Zhao Muhe always chooses night trains when taking trains, so that for the price of one ticket, he can also solve the problem of one-night accommodation.
In order to save money, he would also stay in youth hostels with young people, sleep on chairs at train stations, and huddle in phone booths to make do. It doesn’t matter if he doesn’t understand foreign languages. You can always encounter them in Chinese restaurants. He asked someone to help write some key information into small notes, and then used the notes to buy tickets, take a taxi, etc. It didn’t matter if he had difficulty communicating or got lost. , "Follow the backpackers and you will go to good places."
In this way, he spent 6 months traveling to many places in the UK, France and Germany. When he returned to Taiwan in high spirits, his friends had to admire his courage: "Weren't you afraid that you wouldn't be able to come back?"
He replied: "What are you afraid of? The worst case scenario is that you will die outside!"< /p>
In 1998, the grandson who was brought to Taiwan by Zhao Muhe was about to take the college entrance examination. Because of his poor grades, the young man was so anxious that he cried and did not want to take the exam. In order to encourage his grandson to continue studying, 86-year-old Zhao Muche decided to apply for college with him. The exam was coming soon, so he dove into the books. Unfortunately, both his grandfather and grandson failed the exam due to lack of preparation.
Zhao Muhe advised his grandson not to be discouraged. If he fails to pass the exam this year, there is still next year! He himself immediately started the second round of preparation for the exam, studying more seriously and diligently.
This time, Zhao Muhe was admitted to the Department of Culture and Art of Kongkong University without any suspense, and his grandson was also admitted to China University.
Although he got the admission notice, his friends said that he might not be able to get the diploma. The professor even said more: "If you finish reading, I will kneel down to you."
Zhao Muche just smiled in his heart, I can graduate if I survive until that day.
Zhao Muche has turned on the old academic model. He rides his bicycle to school every day and never misses class. The only time he was late was because his bicycle collided with a motorcycle.
"When you decide to do something, you have to be ruthless, otherwise you won't be able to do it." Therefore, just studying in class is not enough. When the grandchildren were playing games and falling in love, Zhao Muhe was burning the midnight oil. Fighting at night, reviewing lessons.
The hard work paid off. Other children had to study for six or seven years to complete the course. Zhao Muhe completed the 128 credits in four years and became the first person in his class to successfully complete the course at the age of 91. Graduated students.
On the days when he started reading and studying again, Zhao Muhe felt that his mind was more alert, his back and legs no longer ached, and his whole body was full of energy.
A few years later, a friend’s son wanted to apply for a master’s degree. In order to encourage young people to study, the 96-year-old Zhao Muhe got excited again and made an appointment with his children to take the master’s degree exam for fun!
The exam is just around the corner, but Zhao Muhe is not afraid. If I fight hard, I will not lose to you grandsons!
He sprinted for three months without leaving home and was successfully admitted to the Institute of Philosophy at the University of Nanhua.
Two years later, Zhao Muhe received his master's degree with a thesis on the study of "bird and insect bodies" in Chinese calligraphy. At the age of 98, he was not only the oldest graduate student in the history of the University of South China, but also set a record in the Guinness World Records. record, becoming the oldest graduate student in the world.
During the two years of studying for his master's degree, Zhao Muhe, who lives in Kaohsiung, took the bus to Chiayi every week to attend classes. He still never missed a class or delayed an assignment.
At school, his classmates and teachers tried their best to take care of him, but Zhao Muhe never used his age as an issue. Not only was he very kind and respectful to his classmates, he was also courteous and courteous to his teachers: and every time He had to stand up and bow in class, and thank the professor after class. When making a presentation, he would not sit down even with the teacher's permission. In his opinion, "as a student, you must stand."
Zhao Muhe, who was born in Shandong Province in 1912, was deeply influenced by traditional Chinese culture. He attended a private school since he was a child. He got up at dawn every day to read until he could no longer read after dark. He graduated from Qufu Normal University. Later, Zhao Muche taught in middle school.
During the war, in order to avoid disaster, he fled south to Kinmen and later moved to Taiwan.
Before leaving home, his mother told him two things: "If you already have a wife and children at home, you should not get married again; debt is the most important thing."
The handsome Zhao Muhe when he was young
Because of this instruction, Zhao Muhe lived a bachelor life in Taiwan for decades. Now, at the age of 105, he lives alone on the fourth floor of an old apartment. He still insists on taking care of himself. He buys groceries, cooks, and does laundry every day. He even refuses support from others because "when you rely on others, you get old."
Not only did he not rely on others, at the age of 93, Zhao Muhe also started volunteering, riding his bicycle to the hospital every day and taking care of patients younger than him. He did this for two years until the hospital felt that He was too old and tried his best to "dissuade" him.
While traveling in Europe, Zhao Muche once stayed at his student's home. Every day, he cleaned the house before going out to play. At night, he rushed home before his host to prepare meals.
This is Zhao Muhe’s way of life and his way of maintaining health. People cannot be idle, and doing more activities is the foundation for keeping the body healthy and the brain flexible.
He never thinks about how to prolong his life. He just wants to live happily, and if he lives happily, he will live longer.
For him: "The only happiness in life is to keep moving forward."
For this happy progress, in 2015, Zhao Muhe began to attend classes on the history of Chinese literature at Tsinghua University , Although he was just observing, he was as serious as ever.
Even if he is 105 years old, Zhao Muhe will never rely on his old age to show off his old age. He gave 25 calligraphy works to Tsinghua University for a charity sale. He was listed as a special alumnus for donating over one million yuan. He goes to Hsinchu for classes every week At that time, someone was sent to the station to pick him up from school, and he was arranged to live in school for two days so that he could attend classes.
Zhao Muhe, who started learning calligraphy at the age of 14 and practiced it non-stop for 90 years, was able to write wonderful bird and insect paintings. For decades, he has donated tens of millions of yuan raised from calligraphy charity sales to people in need again and again.
Zhao Muhe’s works
In 2011, his works were spotted by the British Library, and Queen Elizabeth personally sent a signed letter requesting collection.
In 2012, Zhao Muhe successfully held a calligraphy exhibition in Hong Kong, published his autobiography "100 Years of Leisure", and became a best-selling author.
Because he did not understand computers, his autobiography could only be dictated and written by others. He felt deeply inconvenient in study and life. Later, he learned to use computers and learned to buy tickets and register online.
Lao Wang, who had just retired next door, did not understand this old man again: "Old Zhao, you are going to die, why are you still learning computers?"
Lao Zhao laughed loudly after hearing this. : "But, I am still alive now!"
In November 2018, Zhao Muhe passed away in Jining at the age of 107.