Li Xueqin
| Li Xueqin 李学勤 |
|
|---|---|
| Born |
28 March 1933 Beijing, China |
| Fields | Ancient Chinese history, archaeology, and epigraphy |
| Institutions |
Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Tsinghua University |
| Alma mater | Tsinghua University |
Li Xueqin (Chinese: 李学勤; Wade–Giles: Li Hsüeh-ch'in, born 28 March 1933) is a Chinese historian, archaeologist, epigrapher, and professor of Tsinghua University. He is considered in China to be "the most important historian working today". He has served as Director of the Institute of History of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Director of the Institute of Sinology of Tsinghua University, head of the Pre-Qin History Association of China, and Director of the Xia–Shang–Zhou Chronology Project.
Li Xueqin was born 28 March 1933 in Beijing. After finishing middle school in 1948, he tested number one in the entrance examination of the electrical engineering department of the National Beiping High School of Industry. However, he was unable to attend the school because a medical examination misdiagnosed him with tuberculosis. After graduating from high school, he was admitted to Tsinghua University in 1951, where he studied philosophy and logic under professor Jin Yuelin.
At Tsinghua, Li's main hobby was studying the oracle bones in the library, putting together pieces of oracle bones like puzzles. At the same time, scholar Guo Ruoyu (郭若愚) was writing a book on the oracle bones. Chen Mengjia, the oracle bones expert, thought the book needed more work, and recommended Li to assist Guo in his work. Li was thus "borrowed" by the Institute of Archaeology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences to become a research assistant to Guo and Chen.
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