The Bee King of China ― The Life and Times of Hua Yizhi

Hua Yizhi (1893-1956) was a pioneer in Chinese modern agricultural development, the father of Chinese scientific apiculture, and a dedicated educator, providing modern education to his home town. He was a renowned industrialist and a philanthropist of the Wuxi region. With a nimble hand and a keen eye, Hua Yizhi became a famous calligrapher and important art collector.His story covers mainly the period from the turn of the twenty’s century to Japanese invasion of China. From his interesting family history, one could see that even though he was an orphan in his early teens, his character and drive was a continuation of his family’s tradition and the fruit of classical moral training which was still prevalent at that time. The story is also a tribute to the spirit of many compatriots of Hua during those turbulent years who, without a stable government, undertook leadership roles and dedicated their lives to bring stability and progress to their home town. There are many interesting episodes and obstacles Hua encountered in his benevolent endeavors in agriculture and education. The budding of Communism in the 1920s and its effect on the Chinese countryside is extremely well-documented and an interesting history rarely talked about in other publications.In order to achieve historical veracity, the author conducted years of research and drew on wide-ranging sources collecting all the concrete facts and let them speak for themselves. The historical facts indicate that Yizhi's contributions to agriculture far exceed his record an industrialist. In the author's opinion, Hua Yizhi was a historic pioneer in the natural sciences. Hua Yizhi relocated to Taipei in 1948, but his roots remained in Wuxi, and he deeply believed in the historical inevitability of peaceful reunification. On April 7, 1956, he died of a cerebral hemorrhage. Yizhi believed that prosperity of the motherland was the basic guarantee of a flourishing hometown, and that a strong connection bound the hearts of people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.