Considered one of the greatest physicists of the 20th century, he is known for his studies of parity violations in the interactions of elementary particles, which changed the understanding of symmetry in nature. For this work, he and Tsung-Dao Li received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1957.
Together with Robert Mills, Zhen Ying Yang developed the Yang-Mills theory, which became the basis of the Standard Model of particle physics and one of the main achievements of modern science.
After World War II, he left for the United States to continue his studies and scientific work. Returning to China, the physicist devoted himself to teaching and educating young scientists at Tsinghua University, donating to the university his personal collection of more than 2 thousand books and manuscripts. He remained an example of modesty, energy and dedication to science until the last years of his life, the material says.
Chinese social media users expressed grief and called the scientist “a great scientist who has proven that China is not inferior to advanced science” and his contributions as “a bridge between Chinese and Western science.”
His life's journey from student to Nobel laureate and educator reflects the development of modern China from times of crisis to scientific growth and national pride.
The media noted that the scientist died from the disease, but did not provide details.
