Nobel and Lasker Laureates of Chinese Descent: In Literature and Science

At the turn of the 20th century, the Boxer Uprising marked the culmination of a violent and tragic chapter in Chinese history. Out of the ashes of this calamity, scholarships funded by Boxer Indemnity and many others fostered some of the greatest minds in the Chinese modern era. This book celebrates notable luminary scholars of Chinese descent, with a special focus on 1 Wolf Prize, 4 Lasker, and 11 Nobel laureates spanning a wide range of disciplines in both literature and science. We visit the struggles of pioneers Tsung-Dao Lee and Chen-Ning Yang as the first Chinese Nobel prize recipients for characterizing fundamental laws in elementary-particle physics. Their pioneering works have paved the way for many to follow. We chronicle the careers of more recent recipients, including Mo Yan and his celebration of peasant life in China through the lens of hallucinatory realism. We delve into the lives of these Laureates, witness the obstacles that they overcame, and testify to their lasting contributions to humankind. In recounting the intellectual struggles and triumphs of these pioneers of Chinese heritage, we hope to inspire the next generation of scholars in literature and science worldwide in the hope that they too might become laureates one day.