The ashes of Li Zhengdao, a giant in physics, were buried in Suzhou to be forever accompanied by his wife

On November 24, it was the birthday anniversary of Mr. Li Zhengdao. In the morning, Mr. Li Zhengdao’s ashes were returned to Suzhou to be buried forever alongside his beloved wife Qin Huifu in this beautiful hometown.
Li Zhengdao, a Nobel laureate in physics and a Chinese-American physicist, passed away at his home in San Francisco, USA, on August 4, 2024, at the age of 97.
In the afternoon of November 24, the “Exploring Physics and Carrying Forward Glory: A Tribute to Mr. Li Zhengdao” themed event was held at the Tiancizhuang Campus of Suzhou University. Over 600 people attended the event, including representatives of Mr. Li Zhengdao’s family such as his eldest son Li Zhongqing, academicians, experts, leaders from relevant departments, representatives of CUSPEA scholars, representatives of Zheng Scholars, recipients of the Li Zhengdao Scholarship, representatives of teachers and students from some schools in Suzhou, and representatives of scientific and technological talents.
During the event, the exhibition “Glory of the East Wu – Exhibition of Mr. Li Zhengdao’s Achievements” was launched at Suzhou University. The exhibition showcased Mr. Li Zhengdao’s connection with Suzhou University and his outstanding contributions through photos and materials. Mr. Li Zhengdao’s family presented an autographed inscription for the “Suzhou Science and Technology Museum” to Suzhou, and Suzhou gifted a specially made Song-style brocade with Mr. Li Zhengdao’s handwriting “Delving into Physics, No Need for Vain Fame” to his family, expressing their respect and gratitude towards him.
Outside the west gate of the Tiancizhuang Campus of Suzhou University, opposite St. John’s Hall, stands a villa built with gray bricks, hidden among the surrounding Republican-era architectural complex. “This was once the former residence of Mr. Li Zhengdao’s grandfather Li Zhongtan. When Li Zhengdao was young, he would come here to live every weekend and during summer and winter vacations,” Wang Xin, the director of the Suzhou University School History Office, told Jiaohuidian News. Born in Shanghai in 1926, Li Zhengdao’s ancestral home was in Suzhou. His great-grandfather Li Ziyi was one of the founders of the Boxi Academy in Tiancizhuang, Suzhou, which later expanded into Soochow University, the predecessor of Suzhou University.
According to Jiaohuidian News, as a teenager, Li Zhengdao attended the primary and middle schools affiliated with Soochow University, which no longer exist and have become Suzhou No. 10 High School and Suzhou High School after multiple rounds of changes and mergers.
The report stated that in 1994, the 68-year-old Li Zhengdao returned to Suzhou No. 10 High School. He fondly recalled that the primary school he once attended, affiliated with Soochow University, had merged into Zhenhua Girls’ School, which was the predecessor of Suzhou No. 10 High School. When touring the campus, he reached the Ruiyun Peak, known as one of the “Three Famous Stones in Jiangnan,” and Li Zhengdao interestingly said that he often played there when he was a child.
From 1942 onwards, the flames of anti-Japanese war spread, and Li Zhengdao’s educational journey became increasingly difficult. He attended high school in Jiaxing, Zhejiang, and Jiangxi, and after being admitted to Zhejiang University, he transferred to the Southwest Associated University. During his university years, Li Zhengdao gradually showed his talent in the field of physics and was appreciated by the famous physicist Wu Dayou, known as the father of Chinese physics. With Wu Dayou’s recommendation, in September 1946, Li Zhengdao, who was not yet 20 years old and was a sophomore, went to the United States alone to study abroad. Ten years later, he and Yang Zhenning jointly proposed the “Law of Non-Conservation of Parity,” which led to their shared Nobel Prize in Physics in 1957.
As an internationally renowned scientist, Li Zhengdao always had a deep affection for his homeland and Suzhou, where in his mind, “every near water and distant mountain had sentiment.”
Mr. Li Zhengdao made significant contributions to promoting talent development in China. Concerned about the shortage of educational and scientific talents in China, he proposed establishing projects such as the “Gifted Youth Classes,” the “China-US Joint Program for Training Physics Graduate Students” (CUSPEA), the postdoctoral system, and the National Natural Science Foundation of China. These projects and mechanisms have cultivated numerous talents in science, technology, and business.
According to Jiaohuidian News, while promoting the development of basic research and talent cultivation in China, Li Zhengdao would repeatedly say, “If there is an opportunity, leave something for Suzhou.” In 1985, he established the “Li Zhengdao Scholarship” in Suzhou to reward the top three high school graduates based on their college entrance exam scores. This award was granted for 30 sessions, and 202 students from 29 high schools were honored. In January 1998, to commemorate his late wife Qin Huifu, Li Zhengdao and his family used their savings to establish the “Zheng Fund,” benefiting Peking University, Fudan University, Suzhou University, Lanzhou University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and Tsinghua University in Hsinchu, Taiwan, to support excellent undergraduate students in conducting scientific research in basic fields. Today, 5,232 students have become “Zheng Scholars.”
Jiaohuidian News reported that Li Zhengdao also served as an honorary professor at his alma mater, Suzhou University. Despite his tight schedule when returning to China, he visited and lectured at Suzhou University seven times. His footsteps also covered many middle schools in Suzhou.
“Dad always told us not to forget that we are Chinese and not to forget that Suzhou is our home,” said Li Zhongqing. The family’s experiences and the hardships during his childhood made his father’s sense of identity and attachment to his nation, country, and hometown even deeper. His grandparents’ graves are located at the foot of Lingyan Mountain in Mudu, Wuzhong, Suzhou. After his mother Qin Huifu passed away in 1996, she was buried in Dongshan the following year. A bay of Taihu Lake keeps the family together.