Lin Huiyin

Lin Huiyin was a Chinese architect and writer who is known to be the first female architect in modern China. She was born in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, in 1904, to a wealthy and progressive family. She received a formal education in China, England, and the United States, where she studied fine arts and stage design at the University of Pennsylvania and Yale University. She also became acquainted with the famous Chinese poet Xu Zhimo, with whom she had a romantic relationship. In 1928, she married Liang Sicheng, a fellow student and architect who was the son of the influential politician and scholar Liang Qichao. Together, they became pioneers of the discipline of Chinese architecture, espousing the Western idea that historic structures are best studied by firsthand observation on field trips. They also founded and taught in the Architecture Department of Northeastern University and later Tsinghua University in Beijing. Liang and Lin conducted extensive surveys and restoration work on cultural heritage sites of China, such as the ancient temples, pagodas, and monasteries that were on the verge of being lost. They also participated in the design of the Chinese national flag, the national emblem, Tiananmen Square, and the Monument to the People's Heroes. Lin Huiyin was also a prolific writer, who wrote free verse, novels, prose, and essays. She published her works in various journals and newspapers, such as the Beijing Morning Post, Crescent Monthly, Poetry and the Dipper, and L'impartiale. She also translated works by Rabindranath Tagore, George Bernard Shaw, and Oscar Wilde into Chinese. She was admired for her elegant and witty style, as well as her insights into Chinese culture and society. Lin Huiyin died of tuberculosis in 1955, at the age of 50. She was buried at the Babaoshan Revolutionary Cemetery in Beijing. She is regarded as one of the most influential and talented women in modern Chinese history, and her legacy is celebrated by many scholars and artists. The American artist Maya Lin is her niece.