Don’t be afraid of difficulties and do your duty.
Zhan Tianyou’s outstanding talent and patriotic spirit were greatly affected by the corruption and incompetence of the Qing government, the backwardness of domestic science and technology, and the extremely dangerous natural environment. Despite ridicule, Zhan Tianyou presided over the construction of the Beijing-Zhangjiakou Railway. It illustrates Zhan Tianyou's meticulous and highly responsible spirit towards the project and his strict requirements for the staff.
Extended information:
In 1872, Zhan Tianyou, who was only 11 years old, was admitted to the preparatory class for young children going abroad. In the same year, he followed Rong Hong by ship from Hong Kong to Shanghai, where he received intensive training in "Fanshu" (English) at the preparatory school. In August 1872, the day of "floating on the sea on a boat" finally came, and the first batch of 30 students, including Zhan Tianyou, went to the United States.
In 1873, Zhan Tianyou was admitted to West Haven Elementary School in the United States. At a young age, he knew that his weak English foundation was not enough, so he memorized English words every day as if reciting the Four Books and Five Classics, and then he casually invited foreign classmates to chat to improve his conversational skills. In 1876, he passed the New Haven High School with honors.
In 1878, he was admitted to Yale University, a well-known university, and pursued further studies in the Railway Department of Civil Engineering. In the land of hidden dragons and crouching tigers, Zhan Tianyou never gave up. He studied hard and achieved excellent results in all subjects, especially mathematics. He won a mathematics scholarship in the first and third grades. At the age of 20, Zhan Tianyou successfully completed his undergraduate course and became one of only two bachelor's degree recipients among the 105 students studying in the United States who returned to China that year.