Jiang Fucong
Jiang Fucong 蔣復璁, courtesy name Weitang 慰堂 (November 12, 1898 - September 21, 1990) was an educator and politician of the Republic of China. His family was from Haining, Zhejiang Province. He was a Catholic and graduated from Peking University with a degree in philosophy. He studied library science at Berlin University on a government scholarship. He was the Director of Beiping National Library, now known as the National Central Library which he founded. He was also the first Director of the National Palace Museum. Jiang was devoted to books and libraries for his entire life. It began as a student in Berlin when he acquired old Chinese manuscripts and books for his uncle Jiang Baili's 蒋百里private library.
Timeline
- 1923 Graduated Peking University
- 1930 Scholarship to study at Berlin University
- 1933 Organized the National Central Library in Nanjing and its move to wartime capital of Chongqing (Chungking).
- 1940-41 Organized the funding for the rare manuscripts & books collection preservation purchase from Shanghai collectors to save them from Japanese looting.
- 1940 August 1, 1940 Following the move of the National Central Library to Chongqing, became the first Director. After World War II defeat of Japan, moved library back to Nanjing in 1945-6.
- 1948 the National Chinese Government moved the National Central Library to Taiwan, including the core collection of about 130,000 volumes of rare manuscript books.
- April 23, 1949 near the end of the Chinese civil war and Nanjing was occupied by Chinese Red Army and Jiang Fucong went to Hong Kong and Taiwan.
- 1951 Went to Taipei, Taiwan and was appointed professor at Taiwan University.
- 1954 National Central Library was re-built in Taipei. He was re-appointed Director.
- 1965 The Palace Museum was re-built in Taipei and he became the first Director.
- 1966 Resigned as Director of National Central Library
- 1974 Elected to Academica Sinica
- 1983 Resigned from the Palace Museum. Appointed as policy advisor to President Chiang Ching-kuo 蔣經國.
- 1990, September 21 Died in Taipei.
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