Yang Zhenning once had a distant conversation with Deng Jiaxian: I understand your «common path.»

The world-renowned physicist, Nobel Prize laureate in Physics, academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and professor at Tsinghua University, passed away in Beijing on October 18, 2025, at the age of 103.

Renowned physicist, Nobel Prize laureate, and Tsinghua University professor: My greatest contribution in life has been helping Chinese people overcome the psychological barrier of feeling inferior to others that persisted for many years.

He was one of the greatest physicists of the 20th century, making outstanding contributions to the development of modern physics. He discovered the key equation for one-dimensional quantum many-body problems, known as the «Yang-Baxter equation,» opening new directions in statistical physics and low-dimensional quantum theory research, and contributing to the emergence of quantum groups as a new mathematical field. His numerous achievements in particle physics, field theory, statistical physics, and condensed matter physics have had profound impacts on advancing these fields.

Throughout his life, he maintained deep concern for his homeland. In 1971, he made his first visit to China, sparking a wave of visits by overseas Chinese scholars. Over the following decades, through academic exchanges, supporting scholars, and building research platforms, he worked tirelessly to promote the development of China’s science and education. When Tsinghua University established the Institute for Advanced Study in 1997, he served as its honorary director and became a Tsinghua professor in 1999. He dedicated himself to talent development and academic discipline building, devoting his knowledge and remaining years to helping Tsinghua University’s development and contributing to national strength and prosperity.

Renowned physicist, Nobel Prize laureate, and Tsinghua University professor: Although I lived in the United States for many years, as one of my friends said, the blood flowing in my veins is my father’s blood, the blood of Chinese culture. My end point is my starting point, and my starting point is also my end point. I hope to train future leaders in physics for the world.

In 2021, at an academic thought symposium held at Tsinghua University, he delivered a speech titled «I wish us a long life so we may share the beauty of the moon, even if we are thousands of miles apart.» This phrase came from a letter written to him 50 years earlier by his close friend. This distant dialogue fulfilled his dear friend’s wishes and embodied his father’s instruction to «feel grateful for the nation’s generosity in one’s lifetime.»

Renowned physicist, Nobel Prize laureate, and Tsinghua University professor: I understand what you meant by «sharing the journey.» I can confidently tell you that over the past 50 years, I have lived up to your