Yisheng Mao (January 9, 1896 – November 12, 1989), born in Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, was a Chinese civil engineering expert, bridge engineer, and one of the founding figures of modern Chinese bridge engineering. He graduated from Southwest Jiaotong University (then known as Tangshan Engineering College) in 1916 and later pursued further studies in the United States at Cornell University and Carnegie Institute of Technology, earning a Ph.D. Upon returning to China, he served successively as a professor at Southwest Jiaotong University, president of the National Southeast University, and president of National Peiyang University.
Mao's most renowned engineering achievement was leading the design and construction of China’s first dual-purpose road and rail bridge, the Qiantang River Bridge. He made several innovations in bridge structures and construction methods, laying the foundation for modern bridge engineering in China. In addition, he served as a technical advisor for the Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge, further establishing his role as a key pioneer in China’s bridge industry. Yisheng Mao also had a significant impact on China’s engineering education and research, serving as an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and a foreign member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering. His academic and engineering achievements made outstanding contributions to the development of modern civil engineering in China.
Tung-Yen Lin (November 14, 1912 – November 15, 2003) was a Chinese-American civil engineer, born in Fuzhou, Fujian, China, who had a long and distinguished career in civil engineering. He earned his Bachelor's degree in civil engineering from Tangshan Jiaotong University in 1931 and a Master's degree in civil engineering from the University of California, Berkeley in 1933, where he later became a lifetime honorary professor. He founded the American consulting firm T.Y.Lin International, which pioneered the application and development of prestressed concrete theory.
Tung-Yen Lin was one of the founders of prestressed concrete theory and made innovative contributions to the design of long-span bridges and seismic structures. He authored numerous works on prestressed structures and steel structures, which have been widely translated into multiple languages, gaining global recognition.
He received numerous honors and awards, including the National Medal of Science from the United States, the American Society of Civil Engineers’ (ASCE) first Prestressed Concrete Award (later renamed the "T.Y. Lin Award"), and the Freyssinet Medal awarded by the International Federation for Prestressing (FIP). Additionally, Tung-Yen Lin was elected a member of the National Academy of Engineering, a foreign member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and an academician of Academia Sinica.
Man-Chung Tang (born 1938), originally from Zhaoqing, Guangdong, is a renowned bridge expert, a member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering, a foreign member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, and a foreign fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. He is the chairman and chief engineer of T.Y. Lin International and serves as an adjunct professor at Columbia University.
Tang pioneered modern bridge engineering theory, invented the cable-stayed cantilever method, and promoted the slab bridge design. His bridge designs are not only technically advanced but also incorporate artistic elements, with many becoming landmark structures. He has led or participated in the design of over 100 large-scale bridges, several of which set world records, such as the Gernsbach Bridge in Germany, the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge in the United States, and the Shibanpo Bridge in Chongqing, China.
Tang is highly respected in both academia and the engineering community, having received numerous honors, including the Roebling Prize from the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and the Roebling Award from the International Bridge Conference. He has also made significant contributions to bridge design in China, including projects in Chongqing, Tianjin, and Shenyang. Moreover, he established the Man-Chung Tang Scholarship to assist outstanding students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds in completing their education.
When Tung-Yen Lin studied at the Ministry of Communications' Tangshan University (now Southwest Jiaotong University), he was greatly influenced by Yisheng Mao in the fields of bridge and structural mechanics and became one of Mao's outstanding protégés. In 1979, Yisheng Mao led a delegation from the China Association for Science and Technology on a visit to the United States. During the trip, Mao was invited to visit Tung-Yen Lin's home. Mao said to him, "Your given name is 'Tong-Yan' (同棪), but why not change it to 'Tong-Yan' (同炎)? You are living in America, yet your heart remains with your homeland. As a descendant of the Yan-Huang (Chinese) people, one must never forget their roots. The characters 'Tong-Yan' (同炎) can better express your sentiments—wouldn't that be more fitting?" Following this conversation, Tung-Yen Lin accepted his mentor's suggestion to change the character "棪" to "炎," as it was "easier to understand and represented the descendants of Yan and Huang."
Shortly after Yisheng Mao passed away, the central government decided to develop and open up Pudong. In an article commemorating Mao, Tung-Yen Lin wrote, “If Mr. Mao’s spirit could hear this great news, he would surely be filled with joy and comfort.” Tung-Yen Lin was not only an outstanding engineer deeply influenced by Mao but also the founder of T.Y. Lin International, a company that provides architectural design and consulting services worldwide. Man-Chung Tang, the chairman and chief engineer of T.Y. Lin International, continues to carry forward and promote Lin’s engineering philosophy and practices.
The three distinguished individuals—Yisheng Mao, Tung-Yen Lin, and Man-Chung Tang—are not only outstanding pioneers in the field of bridge and structural engineering, but they have also driven continuous innovation through their academic contributions and practical engineering work. "A teacher’s role is to impart knowledge, instruct skills, and resolve doubts." These three are highly esteemed in the engineering community and have been dedicated to nurturing the next generation of talent, cultivating generation after generation of exceptional civil engineers, and becoming role models in the industry.