Continuously strive for self-improvement and be virtuous.

Tsinghua’s school motto “Continuous self-improvement and moral integrity” comes from a speech titled “A Gentleman” delivered by Liang Qichao in the Tongfang Department of Tsinghua University in the winter of 1914.

In November 1914, Liang Qichao gave a speech at Tsinghua University. He used two metaphors from the "Book of Changes": "Heaven moves vigorously, and a gentleman strives for self-improvement" (Qian Gua), and "The terrain is kun, and a gentleman carries his virtues." "(Kun hexagram) encourages students and points out: A gentleman's self-motivation is like the movement of the heavenly bodies, which is vigorous and continuous. He should not be exposed to ten cold weather at one time. He should not advance when he sees benefits and retreat when he sees difficulties. Instead, he should focus on self-victory, abandon selfish desires and pursue fruitfulness. Be unyielding, act bravely when seeing justice, do not avoid hardships and dangers, and strive for self-improvement.

At the same time, a gentleman should be as thick and gentle as the momentum of the earth, able to accommodate all things, be strict with oneself and light with others. With a broad mind, he should absorb new civilizations, improve our society, promote our politics, and use a generous mind to Morality takes on the heavy responsibility of history. Later, "continuous self-improvement and moral integrity" was summarized as the school motto of Tsinghua University.

Extended information:

The predecessor of Tsinghua University, Tsinghua Academy, was founded in 1911. It was named after Shuimu Tsinghua. It was a preparatory school for studying in the United States established by the Qing government. Its founding funds It originated from part of the Boxer Indemnity returned by the United States in 1908. In 1912, it was renamed Tsinghua School. In 1928, it was renamed National Tsinghua University.

After the Anti-Japanese War broke out in 1937, it moved south to Changsha and formed the National Changsha Provisional University with Peking University and Nankai University. In 1938, it moved to Kunming and was renamed National Southwest Associated University.

Moved back to Tsinghua University in 1946. In 1949, with the founding of the People's Republic of China, Tsinghua University entered a new stage of development. In 1952, the departments of colleges and universities across the country were adjusted and became a multidisciplinary industrial university. Since 1978, it has been gradually restored and developed into a comprehensive research university.

Baidu Encyclopedia-Tsinghua University