Over a century ago, Lin Huiyin (Phyllis Lin) and Liang Sicheng crossed the Pacific to study at the University of Pennsylvania. Their years in the United States broadened their intellectual horizons and profoundly shaped their later contributions to Chinese architectural history, architectural education, urban planning, and the preservation of China’s built heritage.

On October 10, China Institute’s Renwen Society marks this remarkable chapter in their lives with a lecture by Dr. Sidney Wong and Ms. Annie Liang-Zhou. Together, they revisit the formative years that helped shape two of the most influential figures in modern Chinese architecture.

The presentation also examines Lin and Liang’s enduring intellectual connections with American architects, scholars, and institutions during the 1930s and 1940s, highlighting the reciprocal exchange of ideas that enriched both countries. Drawing on original archival research from the University of Pennsylvania and the City of Philadelphia, Dr. Wong will present newly uncovered documents, photographs, and historical records that illuminate this formative period in their lives and reconstruct the remarkable network of people, places, and ideas that surrounded their American experience.

Bringing together original archival research with perspectives on historic preservation and family legacy, the lecture offers fresh insight into the transnational experiences that shaped Lin Huiyin and Liang Sicheng’s careers, their enduring intellectual legacy, and the continuing relevance of their work for cross-cultural exchange and heritage preservation today.

In-Person Bilingual Lecture (English & Chinese)