Zhan Tianyou
| Zhan Tianyou (Tien Yow Jeme) |
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|---|---|
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| Native name | 詹天佑 |
| Born | 26 April 1861 |
| Died | 24 April 1919 (aged 57) |
| Known for | Father of China's Railroad |
Zhan Tianyou (Chinese: 詹天佑; pinyin: Zhān Tiānyòu; Wade–Giles: Chan T'ien-yu; Jyutping: Zim1 Tin1 Jau6; 26 April 1861 – 24 April 1919), or Tien Yow Jeme as he called himself in English, based on the Cantonese pronunciation, was a pioneering Chinese railroad engineer. Educated in the United States, he was the chief engineer responsible for construction of the Peking-Kalgan Railway (Beijing to Zhangjiakou), the first railway constructed in China without foreign assistance. For his contributions to railroad engineering in China, Zhan is known as the "Father of China's Railroad".
Zhan was born in Namhoi (Nanhai) prefecture (now Guangzhou) in Guangdong province. His family, which had long participated in business and commerce, came from Wuyuan County in Huizhou, Anhui (now in Jiangxi province). In 1872, as a twelve-year-old, he was chosen by Qing imperial officials to be sent to the United States as part of the Chinese Educational Mission. Together with thirty boys of similar age, he arrived in Connecticut, United States. After studying at a primary school in New Haven, he entered the Hillhouse High School there, and in 1878, was admitted to the Sheffield Scientific School of Yale University. His major was Civil Engineering, with an emphasis in railroad construction, and received his Ph.B. degree in 1881. He was considered lucky, because only a few months after his graduation, the Qing government decided to recall all students studying in the United States. Of those who were sent abroad, only he and another student were able to complete their college degrees.
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