Sanwen Bridge

At the central axis of Peiyangyuan Campus of Tianjin University, there spans the Sanwen Bridge (“Sanwen” means “Three Questions”). While many assume the name “Sanwen” (Three Questions) alludes to Confucius’s famous dialogues, the true origin lies in the century-old motto of Tianjin University: “Seeking Truth from Facts.” The “Sanwen” are Do you comprehend? Can you implement? Dare you innovate?

“Seeking Truth from Facts” stems from the History of the Han Dynasty.

During the late 19th century,Sheng Xuanhuai,founder of Peiyang University (predecessor of Tianjin University), frequently used a seal inscribed with "Seeking Truth from Facts" in his correspondence.

Around 1915, Zhao Tianlin, a 28-year-old jurist and educator, assumed leadership of then Peiyang University.At that time, the war-torn China was wracked by turmoil and turbulence. Even across the sprawling expanse of North China, no desk stood undisturbed amid the nation's chaos. Shortly after taking office, this young president distilled 20 years of Peiyang University's educational legacy into the motto "Seeking Truth from Facts", aiming to galvanize both faculty and students toward rigorous scholarship and national rejuvenation. During World War II, Zhao refused to collaborate with Japanese occupiers, boldly resisting their imposed "Goodwill Education" programs. He penned his final testament—a manifesto of unwavering patriotism—before falling victim to an assassination by Japanese (Secret Service agents) in 1938.

Zhang Hanying, a student of then Peiyang University during Zhao Tianlin’s presidency, later assumed presidency of the university. In his office, he prominently displayed a calligraphic scroll bearing the motto "Seeking Truth from Facts", accompanied by his three questions: Do you comprehend? Can you implement? Dare you innovate?

These three questions of Tianjin University resonate as a profound echo through the century-old institution's history, urging generations of scholars to engage in unrelenting self-examination.

Tianjin University alumnus Ma Yinchu, a renowned economist, exemplified this spirit. In the 1950s, his "New Population Theory" advocating for population control provoked criticism. Defying pressures, Ma stood alone in public debates, declaring: "My personal persecution is trivial. What matters is the future of our nation. I believe history will prove me correct." His tenacity became a living testament to Tianjin University's commitment to "Seeking Truth from Facts"—an unwavering pursuit of truth.

In this academic environment, your lab notebook will likely be systematically assigned page numbers by your supervisor. While experimentation allows for errors, documented records must remain intact and unaltered. Here, your mentor might occasionally present miscalculations — but once aware of their oversight, they are obligated to promptly return to rectify it. The fundamental principle is clear: errors may occur in the process of discovery, but intellectual integrity requires that mistakes can’t be masked.

Composed in 1935, Tianjin University (TJU) anthem has been sung by generations of TJU people, epitomizing their practice of “Seeking Truth from Facts”.

As China's flagship engineering institution, TJU played a pivotal role in building the nation's industrial framework. Professor Mao Yisheng (1896-1989), China's bridge engineering pioneer, who has ever taught at the University, directed the design of Qiantang River Bridge (1937).Sun Yueqi, an alumnus and founder of China’s petroleum industry, oversaw the development of the country’s first modern oil base at Yumen. Today, TJU’s technologies dominate critical industrial sectors: over 80% of China’s chemical distillation columns employ TJU innovations, while its high-efficiency clean combustion engines hold over 70% of the market. In the past decade, over 70% of major dam projects on China’s rivers, including the South-to-North Water Diversion Project, utilize TJU’s real-time hydroelectric control systems. TJU hosts China’s sole National Industrial Crystallization Engineering Research Center, with its crystallization technologies applied nationwide. From the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, Three Gorges Project, and Tianwen Mars exploration to the Tiangong-2 space station and C919 commercial aircraft, TJU scholars have contributed to numerous major engineering projects. Whether soaring skyward, delving underground, or plumbing the ocean depths, Tianjin University embodies unwavering commitment to “Seeking Truth from Facts”.

A symphony of steel girders above and terracotta bricks below, the Sanwen Bridge embodies both the unyielding precision of engineering and the delicate whispers of human artistry. Along its banks, weeping willows trace calligraphic strokes in the breeze, while peach blossoms dissolve into pastel mists. As your footsteps resonate on its path, you may think of Xu Zhimo's immortal lines: "The golden willows by the riverbank are the brides in the sunset’s glow. " Beneath the arches, emerald lawns host a conclave of ducks—their feathered symposium interrupted by a swan’s theatrical charge, met only with unfazed quacks as they paddle away in leisurely defiance. Traverse the Shutian Squire as twilight descends, where lantern-light etches a path to the luminous library. Each step feels like keeping rendezvous with centuries past. Under starlit skies, the bridge transfigures into a meditative sage, its silent stones resonating the eternal questions: Do you comprehend? Can you implement? Dare you innovate?

Anchored solemnly between the austerely magnificent Qiushi Hall and the artistically grandiose Zheng Dong Library, the Sanwen Bridge arches gracefully along the central axis of Peiyangyuan Campus of Tianjin University, like a temporal portal where past and future coalesce. This waterway passage distills the university's unyielding character and scholarly essence, becoming an obligatory pilgrimage for every knowledge seeker. "Do you comprehend? Can you implement? Dare you innovate?" These three cardinal questions, carved through a century of scholarship, guide generations of students along the continuum from theoretical comprehension to applied mastery and finally audacious innovation. Today, as Tianjin University navigates its historic voyage to construct a world-class university with Chinese characteristics, global prominence, and distinctive spirit, our community remains steadfast in primordial aspirations while pressing forward with unrelenting vigor. Through groundbreaking educational reforms and the tangible fruits of talent cultivation, we inscribe our answer to the "Epochal Interrogations" facing higher education.

Through practical engagement in understanding, implementing, and remaining courageously committed to "seeking truth from facts", every member of the Tianjin University community must answer this crucial question with dedication, requiring a lifelong journey of exploration.

Stand on the bridge, and looking up, we still share the same constellations in the night. Keeping feet grounded while reaching for the stars, TJUers undertake great missions.

By Qiao Wenya

Editor: Sun Xiaofang