The life of a famous university lecturer who quit his job and went to the mountains to live in seclusion

In 2000, Mr. Vuong Thanh Tung and his wife, who was also a lecturer at Peking University, brought their savings of 3.5 million yuan to live in seclusion in the mountains and forests for 11 years, according to Sina news site.

The story behind how two lecturers at China's most prestigious university gave up their dream jobs and became social contrarians has been revealed.

Quit government job to go to college

Born in a poor rural area in Luoyang City, Henan Province (China), Vuong Thanh Tung's family has a tradition of farming. Children from poor families, stuck in remote, mountainous villages, often have little chance of being lucky in life.

Vuong Thanh Tung came from a poor background but excelled in entering a top university in China.

The only way to change one’s destiny is to study and work hard. Realizing that, Thanh Tung strived and became one of the few young people in the village to have a high school diploma. His outstanding academic achievements gave the poor student the opportunity to be recruited directly into a local government agency.

However, the job did not last long and the young man believed that he could go further. So, as soon as the university entrance examination system was restored in 1979, Thanh Tung gave up his civil servant position and studied day and night.

The young man achieved excellent results in the university entrance examination at the age of 22 and studied at Peking University. Wang Qingsong graduated with a bachelor's degree in Political Science in 1979, a master's degree in Law in 1983 and stayed at Peking University to teach.

In 1985, the “qigong health” craze broke out in China. With his experience practicing martial arts as a child, Wang Qingsong seized the trend and decided to establish health training classes at Peking University as well as facilities outside the school.

At that time, the price of 10 yuan per class was not cheap, but every class was full and he earned a considerable amount of money. It was also in these classes that Wang Qingsong met his wife Zhang Mei, who was also a lecturer in the English Department of Peking University.

In 1990, the “health care” craze gradually died down, Vuong Thanh Tung's classes were no longer held, and he lost an important source of income.

Shocked by consecutive failures

Thanh Tung returned to focus on teaching in the classroom and wanted to pursue a PhD in Philosophy. He applied for a PhD under the guidance of Professor Duong Nhat Kiet of the Department of Philosophy at Peking University but was rejected.

He returned to take his doctoral exam in Law but still failed. His pride and the fact that he had always been successful in his work for a long time shocked Vuong Thanh Tung and he could not accept the failure.

Too much convenience for a long time shocked teacher Vuong Thanh Tung when he failed. He and his wife quit their jobs and went into hiding in the mountains.

Meanwhile, his wife also faced challenges at work. In 1995, he took her to a small mountain village located at the junction of Hebei Province and Beijing to relax. After living in a small mountain village for a few days, Wang Qingsong felt that his previous life was too suffocating.

The two submitted their resignations and quietly left with 3.5 million yuan in savings. At that time, this was a huge sum of money, and this solid financial foundation gave the couple the confidence to quit their jobs.

The couple retreated to the mountains and began a self-sufficient life, growing crops, raising pigs, goats, and cows on a 2,500-acre plot of land for a rent of 200,000 yuan for 50 years. The couple gave birth to a son, Wang Xiaowu. When the child was 7 years old, a close friend came to visit Wang Qingsong and his wife.

The child was frightened by the camera and asked his parents what it was. That was the moment the couple knew it was time to return to the city.

In 2011, Vuong Thanh Tung and his wife sold their mountain property, ending 11 years of seclusion and bringing their son back to the city from the mountain. He contacted his old friend for help.

The moment when Mr. Vuong The Tung's wife - also a lecturer at Peking University - and her son worked on the mountain was captured by the teacher's friend's camera.

On March 19, 2011, reporter Tang Shizong working at Xinhua News Agency unexpectedly received a call from an old friend. Reporter Tang Shizong then wrote an article about his friend's experience, published it, and attracted attention throughout China.

Mr. Wang's family immediately attracted media attention with headlines like "Peking University teacher flees to the mountains." The press invited him for interviews, but he chose to stay away from the public. Wang Qingsong enrolled his children in the Peking University Primary School.

In 2020, his friend Duong The Tang still mentioned Vuong Thanh Tung in videos shared on social media and said he respected his privacy.

Chinese social media still often mentions the story of Vuong Thanh Tung. Some people believe that in life, there are times when you are tired and need to rest for a while to have a better journey, but if you want to escape reality in exchange for peace, the result may not be as expected.

(Source: Vietnamnet)

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