Vol.35 (Dec) 2025 | Article no.1 2026
*President of Chinese Physical Society & Director of Tsung-Dao Lee Institute
Professor C. N. Yang was a towering figure in physics, a teacher of generations, and a lifelong seeker of truth and beauty in science.
On behalf of the Chinese Physical Society, I would like to express our deepest condolences and heartfelt remembrance for Professor Yang, and our highest respect for his extraordinary contributions to physics and to humanity.
Professor C. N. Yang was a physicist whom I deeply admire. In my mind, his contributions to science are truly immense — he is a person who exemplifies what Xunzi described as “one who understands and harnesses the forces of nature.” (Fig. 1).
Professor C. N. Yang
Dr. Hu Shi, a distinguished Chinese scholar, once dedicated this saying to the young C. N. Yang. Later, in 2003, Professor Yang himself inscribed it for Acta Physica Sinica, the journal published by the Chinese Physical Society, in celebration of its 70th anniversary. I believe this phrase serves as the most fitting summary of Professor Yang’s scientific achievements (Fig. 2).
Written in 2003 in commemoration of the 70th anniversary of Acta Physica Sinica
Professor Yang had a long and profound connection with the Chinese Physical Society.
In the summer of 1938, he was admitted to the National Southwest Associated University. This photograph shows Professor Yang as a spirited young man full of ambition and vitality. In another old photograph, we see the teachers who taught him during his undergraduate years. These distinguished scholars were among the pioneering founders of the Chinese Physical Society (Fig. 3).
The Physics Society in the 1940s
At the age of twenty, as a senior undergraduate student, Professor Yang actively participated in the 10th Annual Meeting of the Chinese Physical Society held at the National Southwest Associated University in 1942. Two years later, he earned his master’s degree with distinction and went to the United States in 1945 to pursue further studies, thus beginning his lifelong journey of passionate exploration in physics.
During his years in the United States, Professor C. N. Yang always cared deeply about the development of physics in China. He actively promoted academic exchange and cooperation between the Chinese Physical Society (CPS) and the American Physical Society (APS). Moreover, under Professor Yang’s initiative and leadership, the Chinese Physical Society, together with the Physical Society of Japan and the Korean Physical Society, jointly founded the Association of Asia Pacific Physical Societies (AAPPS) in 1990. Professor Yang served as the first President of AAPPS and continued to be a member of its Council until the end of 1997.
In recognition of Professor Yang’s remarkable contributions to its establishment and development, AAPPS decided to rename the AAPPS Award as the C. N. Yang Award. This award honors outstanding young physicists from the Asia-Pacific region who have demonstrated both exceptional achievements and great potential. Today, the winners of the 2025 C. N. Yang Award will soon be announced. I believe the academic progress and achievements of these young scientists are among the best tributes to Professor Yang’s lifelong dedication and vision for physics.
Professor Yang closely followed the development of journals published by the Chinese Physical Society and served for many years as an advisory editor for Acta Physica Sinica, Chinese Physics B, and Chinese Physics Letters.
Early in his career, his graduate research at the National Southwest Associated University was published in Acta Physica Sinica. Between 1945 and 2014, he published fifteen papers and articles in these journals.
On his 100th birthday, CPS presented him with a compilation of his works, which he received with great pleasure and responded with a handwritten letter of thanks.
Finally, I would like to share a personal story about my interactions with Professor Yang.
I was fortunate to have multiple occasions to listen to Professor Yang’s guidance in person. On the evening of September 15, 2018, the Qiu Shi Science & Technology Foundation in Hong Kong held the “2018 Qiu Shi Awards Ceremony” at the University of Science and Technology of China. My research team received that year’s only Qiu Shi Collective Science & Technology Achievement Award. At his age of 96, Professor Yang personally came on stage, introduced our team’s contributions in simple and clear language, and presented the award to me himself. We also took a precious group photograph together, which remains an honor for me and all members of our team for a lifetime (Fig. 4).
Professor Yang and my team at the 2018 Qiu Shi Awards Ceremony
Professor C. N. Yang not only achieved outstanding scholarly accomplishments, truly embodying the idea of “understanding and harnessing the forces of nature,” but also made tremendous contributions to the healthy development of the physics community in China. His courage, perseverance, and determination serve as a model for all of us in the younger generation of scholars.
As President of the Chinese Physical Society, I would like to express, on behalf of all my colleagues, our deepest condolences and heartfelt remembrance of Professor Yang. His wisdom, vision, and contributions will always be remembered.
No data were generated or analyzed during this article.
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