Late at night on October 19th, Beijing time, my father Wang Xian suffered a sudden heart attack. Despite emergency treatment, he passed away in the early hours of the 20th at the age of 90. According to family and medical staff, my father passed away very suddenly, without experiencing much pain, and passed away peacefully
My father, Wang Xianzeng, was born in 1935. In 1955, he and my mother were admitted to Peking University. My mother entered the History Department, and my father entered the Department of Geology and Geography, studying spore pollen. After graduating in 1960, my father stayed on to teach, and then taught in the Geology Department for decades, until he retired from his professorship, with many students everywhere. He taught several courses at Peking University, including ‘Spore and Pollen Analysis,’ ‘Paleobotany,’ ‘Environmental Archaeology,’ and ‘Geological History,’ and authored ‘Introduction to Palynology,’ ‘Shanwang Plant Chemistry,’ and ‘ Applied Palynology” and other monographs. He served as a director of the second, third, and fourth sessions of the Chinese Spore Pollen Society, a member of the International Spore Pollen Federation, and was awarded the United Nations World Peace Foundation Gold Award in Natural Medicine in 2001
My father excelled in teaching and professional research, but in my heart, he was my father, the pillar of our family; It was the father who, during the Tangshan earthquake, grabbed me under his arm and rushed out of the dorm building; the father who, every time he went on a business trip to the countryside, the first thing he did was pull out the candy he bought for me; after I got into Peking University, he came to my dorm every week to take me out for a restaurant to improve my meals; when I earned my PhD at Harvard, he was even more excited than I was at the graduation ceremony; and after my mother passed away, he comforted me and told me to be strong
My father devoted his life to palynology and nutrition, showing little interest in social and political issues, but when it came to my political choices, he did not hesitate to support my political choices. I spent more than six years in prison in China, enduring wind, frost, rain, and snow, but every time he and my mother came to the prison to see me, bringing books and nutritional supplements. When I went into exile abroad, he and my mother worked tirelessly to visit the country, and the elderly visited the black-haired. For decades, there was never a single complaint. At home, my father was a quiet and reserved person, But it is always the strongest support. If my mother’s love for me was often evident, then my father’s support was silent and generous. Without such parents, I simply could not have walked these difficult decades
Birth, aging, sickness, and death are natural laws. My father is considered to be ninety years old, and logically I should have accepted this reality calmly. But I really couldn’t accept it. Just a few days ago, I recorded a video to congratulate my father on his 90th birthday. I told him about it on the phone, saying he would see it at the nursing home’s birthday party next week. My father, who was already in poor spirits, immediately had a light in his eyes the moment he heard it. I knew how much he was looking forward to seeing his son say “Happy Birthday” on screen “Ah. However, just a few days away, he didn’t get to see the video he was looking forward to. I really, really can’t accept it!
Not being able to send off my own parents is, of course, a great regret and sorrow in life. From this perspective, I am unfortunate. But I know my parents are great parents; they understand and support my son’s choices, and they are willing to bear the inevitable price of this choice with him. Is there anything deeper than the love of parents?! From this perspective, having such parents makes me incredibly happy
My father went to heaven, and I could be with my mother again. Perhaps this is the only thing that brings a little comfort to remember
After discussing with my family, I decided that with my father’s passing, there would be no memorial service or farewell ceremony, and all matters would be kept simple. This fit my father’s personality
Dad, rest in peace
His son, Wang Dan, tearfully reported
October19, 2025
Source: Wang Dan’s Facebook