This is the statue at Tsinghua University, honouring the late Poet & Scholar Wen Yiduo or more correctly named Wen Jia Ye  ( 1899 - 1946 )

He wrote a poem in around 1927, titled   " Prayer."

The opening stanza, fittingly depicts the garden's preface....

" Please tell me, who are the Chinese?

Show me how to cherish memory.

Please tell me of this people's greatness.

Softly tell me; don't shout it out."

The full poem in Chinese characters, follows:

                                                                  请告诉我谁是中国人，
                                                                  启示我，如何把记忆抱紧；
                                                                  ・・请告诉我这民族的伟大，
                                                                  轻轻的告诉我，不要喧哗！
                                                                  请告诉我谁是中国人，
                                                                  谁的心里有尧舜的心，
                                                                  谁的血是荆轲聂政的血，
                                                                  谁是神农黄帝的遗孽。
                                                                  告诉我那智慧来得离奇，
                                                                  说是河马献来的馈礼；
                                                                  还告诉我这歌声的节奏，
                                                                  原是九苞凤凰的传授。
                                                                  ・・请告诉我戈壁的沉默，
                                                                  和五岳的庄严？又告诉我
                                                                  泰山的石溜还滴着忍耐，
                                                                  大江黄河又流着和谐？
                                                                  再告诉我，那一滴清泪
                                                                  是孔子吊唁死麟的伤悲？
                                                                  那狂笑也得告诉我才好，
                                                                  庄周淳于髡东方朔的笑。
                                                                  请告诉我谁是中国人，
                                                                  启示我，如何把记忆抱紧；
                                                                  ・・请告诉我这民族的伟大，
                                                                  轻轻的告诉我，不要喧哗！ 

 

 

 

"....and those making use of the world as those not using it to the full;

for the scene of the world is changing."

                   or translated another way....

".......and they that use this world as not abusing it;

for the fashion of this world passeth away."

       How true also, these words scribed in the 1st Century Common Era.