Tsung-Dao Lee giving a speech at CERN in 1968. Photo by Visual China

On August 11, the "Memorial Service for Mr. Tsung-Dao Lee" was held at the Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

More than 330 people attended the meeting, including representatives from the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, academicians, experts, and teachers and students from more than 30 universities and research institutions such as Peking University, Tsinghua University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, the Institute of High Energy Physics, the Institute of Physics, and the Institute of Theoretical Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, as well as representatives of Mr. Tsung-Dao Lee's family, relatives, friends, colleagues, and people from all walks of life.

The memorial service was hosted by Wei Long, Secretary of the Party Committee of the Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Professor Liang Chen, Vice Dean of the School of History at Nanjing University, read out a speech on behalf of Mr. Tsung-Dao Lee's family on behalf of Mr. Tsung-Dao Lee's eldest son, Professor Li Zhongqing. The speech was entitled "I will always be a part of you, and you will always be a part of me."

Li Zhongqing wrote in his speech: "In the last few days of his life, Dad would say, I will always be a part of you, and you will always be a part of me. Although only my family was around at that time, I think my father's words were not only for me, but also for his teachers, colleagues, friends, science and the motherland over the years."

In the early morning of August 4th local time, Chinese-American physicist, foreign academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Nobel Prize winner in Physics, Mr. Tsung-Dao Lee, passed away at his home in San Francisco, USA, at the age of 97.

Scientists who travel around for their motherland

Mr. Tsung-Dao Lee was born on November 24, 1926 in Shanghai, China. His ancestral home is Suzhou, Jiangsu. From 1943 to 1945, he studied at Zhejiang University and Southwest Associated University. In 1946, he entered the Graduate School of the University of Chicago and received his doctorate in June 1950. From 1950 to 1953, he conducted research at the University of Chicago, the University of California, Berkeley, and Princeton Institute.

In 1956, Tsung-Dao Lee and Chen-Ning Yang proposed the theory that parity is not conserved in weak interactions. After experimental verification the following year, they jointly won the Nobel Prize in Physics and the Einstein Prize in Science. His research work has had a profound impact on the development of particle physics and quantum field theory.

In 1984, Tsung-Dao Lee was appointed as an honorary professor of Peking University. He is currently the director of the Beijing Center for Modern Physics and the director of the Center for High Energy Physics of Peking University. In November 2016, the Tsung-Dao Lee Institute was officially established at Shanghai Jiao Tong University. In 2018, Tsung-Dao Lee was appointed as the honorary director of the Tsung-Dao Lee Institute.

Wei Zhixiang, deputy director of the Bureau of Frontier Science and Basic Research of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, expressed his deep remembrance and remembrance of Mr. Tsung-Dao Lee on behalf of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. He pointed out that Mr. Tsung-Dao Lee has always cared about and supported the basic research work of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, actively offered advice and suggestions to national leaders, and promoted the leapfrog development of basic research talents in our academy and even the whole country; he personally participated in a series of Sino-US academic activities for a long time, actively promoted the establishment of relevant institutions, and laid a solid foundation for the good situation of Sino-US basic research international cooperation; to commemorate and remember Mr. Tsung-Dao Lee, we must learn from his strategic vision of focusing on the forefront, his scientific and rigorous attitude towards academic research, and his strong and passionate childlike feelings. We should inherit and carry forward the spirit of Mr. Tsung-Dao Lee, strengthen basic research with greater efforts, consolidate the foundation of scientific and technological self-reliance, produce a number of scientific achievements that will be milestones for human development in the future, and create a source and new highland of original innovation.

Academician Gao Yuanning, Dean of the School of Physics at Peking University, expressed deep condolences on behalf of Peking University. He said that Mr. Tsung-Dao Lee made a far-reaching and forward-looking plan for the construction and development of Peking University's physics discipline, and personally promoted the cultivation of high-level talents, pioneering cutting-edge cross-disciplinary research and international exchanges and cooperation in physics and related disciplines at Peking University; we should learn from Mr. Tsung-Dao Lee's persistent pursuit and forward-looking vision of "asking more thoroughly and creating new things", his patriotic feelings and childlike heart, his spiritual style and lofty realm of being a model teacher, and inherit and carry forward the precious wealth that Mr. Lee provided for the progress and development of China's physics cause, and even education, science and technology, and talent, and make greater contributions to the comprehensive promotion of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, which is "all connected".

On behalf of the Institute of Theoretical Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhou Shangui, Director of the Institute of Theoretical Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, expressed deep condolences and deep remembrance for the death of Mr. Tsung-Dao Lee. He said that the construction and development of the Institute of Theoretical Physics has not only greatly benefited from CUSPEA, the postdoctoral mobile station system, the National Natural Science Foundation, etc., which were suggested and promoted by Mr. Lee, but also has always received selfless help from Mr. Lee. His life was full of persistent pursuit of science and selfless dedication to human civilization; the best commemoration is inheritance, and the deepest remembrance is promotion. We will inherit and promote Mr. Tsung-Dao Lee's scientific spirit and patriotism, face the major needs of the country and the forefront of world science and technology, continue to forge ahead and be brave in innovation, and make new and greater contributions to the development of science and technology, education and talent training in my country.

Subsequently, Academician Wang Yifang, Director of the Institute of High Energy Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, gave a report entitled "Mr. Tsung-Dao Lee's Contributions to China's Science and Education". From the three chapters of "Great Physicist", "Contributions to my country's High-Energy Physics and High-Energy Accelerators", and "Contributions to the Motherland's Science, Education and Talent Cultivation", he fondly and comprehensively reviewed Mr. Tsung-Dao Lee's academic career of more than 60 years and his outstanding contributions to my country's high-energy physics, science, education, and talent cultivation.

Wang Yifang said that Mr. Tsung-Dao Lee was an admirable scientist, a great educator and patriot. He brought my country's high-energy physics to the forefront of the world and cultivated a large number of reserve talents for the development of my country's basic research and applied science. He finally said, "The mountains and rivers are vast, and the spirit of Mr. Lee is as high as the mountains and as long as the rivers." Our remembrance of Mr. Lee is the greatest encouragement for us to continue to struggle. The best way to remember him is to continue to push forward his scientific spirit and unfinished cause.

"You will always be a part of me"

As Professor Li Zhongqing, son of Tsung-Dao Lee, was in grief and had difficulty walking, he was unable to arrive at the scene. Professor Liang Chen of Nanjing University read the speech on behalf of Professor Li Zhongqing as the representative of Tsung-Dao Lee's family.

In his speech, Li Zhongqing wrote: "First of all, I would like to thank everyone for the condolences, sympathy and support given to our family after my father passed away. After we announced this sad news on August 4, various condolences to the family and public memories of my father poured in like a tide."

"Today's memorial service is the first event in commemoration of my father. In fact, everyone present here knows Tsung-Dao Lee better than I do as a physicist, educator and scientific leader."

"To me, Tsung-Dao Lee is a kind and loving father, my dear dad. He not only enlightens my wisdom, but is also the source of my strength and vitality."

"I could go into many details about the significant impact he had on my life. However, what I am most grateful for is that he taught me to seek knowledge, focus on work, be humble, be responsible, maintain national pride, be honest, appreciate art, and pursue innovation and make a difference instead of chasing money, material things and fame ."

"In the last few days of his life, Dad would say, 'I will always be a part of you, and you will always be a part of me.' Although only my family was around me at that time, I think my father's words were not only for me, but also for his teachers, colleagues, friends, science and the motherland over the years."