Huang Xianfan

Huang Xianfan (zhuang: Vangz Yenfanh; ) (November 13, 1899 – January 18, 1982) was a Zhuang Chinese historian, ethnologist and educator. Huang is considered one of the founders of modern Chinese ethnology.

He dedicated five decades of his life to the study of history and ethnology, his research encompassing a vast range of fields, including Chinese general history, pre-Qin history, medieval history, social and living history, cultural history, ethnology, linguistics, and Zhuang studies. His magnum opus, "A General Outline of Tang Dynasty Society," is widely hailed as the first comprehensive study of Tang dynasty social history in the 20th century. Similarly, his "The National Salvation Campaign of the Imperial College Students in the Song Dynasty" is recognized as the pioneering monograph on the history of student movements in China. His works, "A Brief History of the Zhuang People in Guangxi" and "A General History of the Zhuang People," are widely regarded as groundbreaking contributions to the historical and cultural studies of the Zhuang people. His seminal work, "China's History Did Not Have a Slave Society," stands as a landmark challenge within 20th-century Chinese academia to the notion of a slave society in Chinese history. Furthermore, his essay, "On the Construction of 'Chinese Life Studies,'" provides a crucial framework for establishing this new academic discipline. His pioneering theories, including the "Indigenous Origin of the Zhuang People in Guangxi" and "The Justification of Nong Zhigao's Rebellion Against the Song Dynasty," have become cornerstones for subsequent scholars and are now widely accepted as definitive interpretations.

His commitment to education spanned almost fifty years at the university. In his later years, he established the Lijiang Adult University, fostering a vast network of students and leaving an enduring mark on the field and The "Bagui School" he created is the first school of ethnic studies in China.

Early life and education
Huang Xianfan was born on 13 November 1899 in the town of Qujiu in Fusui County, Guangxi province, Qing dynasty. His original name was Gan Jinying, and he was later renamed Huang Xianfan after the Huang family adopted him.

Huang's father, Gan Xinchang, was a Zhuang farmer and a stern disciplinarian according to Huang, who had a background in classics which allowed him to introduce Huang to various texts when Huang was six years old.

According to his autobiography, his intellectual gifts were recognized as a child by his uncle. Because of this, from an early age he was sent by his family to study the Confucian classics. Huang described his father as a stern disciplinarian. Huang's father sent the 9-year-old Huang to a traditional Chinese school where he studied Confucian classics, like Four Books and Five Classics, in order to pass the Imperial examination. However, as a teenager he was dissatisfied by the scholastic system of his time, especially its emphasis on writing eight-legged essays. Huang later admitted that he didn't the Confucian classics, favouring instead history books such as Records of the Grand Historian. At the age of 14, Huang Xianfan was educated at Qusi Primary School. At 18, Huang moved to a higher primary school in nearby Quli, where he was bullied because of his peasant background. In 1922, he entered Guangxi Third Normal college. In 1926, he entered Beijing Normal University and was taught by the famous tutors Chen Yuan and Qian Xuantong. It was there over nine years that he had completed his diploma, bachelor and postgraduate courses, writing a series of academic papers and books in classical Chinese on ancient history, Chinese society, politics, economy, culture, religion and folk customs, as well as translating the history of various countries into Chinese.While studying at Beijing Normal University, Huang still taught language and history at a Beijing private high school. With his students, he set up Beilei Xueshe (蓓蕾學社), an academic group and press in 1932, which published academic books. In 1935, he went to Japan and studied at Tokyo Imperial University and was taught by the famous Japanese historian tutors, Sei Wada (和田清) and Katou Shigeru (加藤繁).

Career
In November 1937 he returned to China, began his teaching career at Guangxi University. Over the years, he held professorships at several institutions, including Guangxi University, Sun Yat-sen University, and Guilin Normal College, becoming the first university professor of Zhuang ethnicity in China and first university professor of Chongzuo city. Throughout his academic career, he taught a variety of courses, such as "Chinese History," "Ancient History," "Periodization of Chinese History," "History of Chinese Culture," "Historical Documents," and "Historical Materialism." In addition to his teaching duties, Huang took on various administrative roles at Guangxi University, serving as Dean of Student Affairs, Head of the Chinese Department, and Director of the University Library.Furthermore, he held a concurrent position as a researcher at the Guangxi Institute of Education. During the readjustment of institutions of higher learning in China in the early 1950s, Huang Xianfan was transferred to Guangxi Normal College (now Guangxi Normal University), where he served as a professor of history and concurrently as the director of the library. He remained a lifelong professor at the university.

During the War with Japan
Huang Xianfan formed a group to do ethnographic research in the border region of Guizhou-Guangxi in August 1943, and worked as the head of this group. Again, in April 1945, as a leader he formed another investigative group to research South Guizhou border dwellers. They conducted a lot of academic research in ethnic areas of Guizhou and Guangxi. By doing this, Huang became a pioneer of ethnic residence investigations.

During period of Guangxi University
In June 1951, Huang Xianfan joined a central government ethnic mission led by Fei Xiaotong(Huang was vice leader and in Guangxi sub-group of the middlesouth delegation). They went to Guangxi ethnic areas for condolences and investigations. In March 1952, he went with his students to areas of Duan, Donglan and Nandan for investigation. In the summer of this year, they went to Chongzuo, Debao, Jingxi and Longluo of Fusui for field investigation. They had collected a lot of historical relics from local headmen, which including materials of Nong Zhigao's uprising and the anti-qing dynasty movement led by Wu Lingyun and his son. In June 1953, Huang formed a historical relics investigation group from the cultural education bureau of the People's Government of Guixi Zhuang Nationality Autonomous Region in Guangxi University. As a leader, he led the group members to Nandan, Tiane, Hechi, Luocheng and Yicheng, They visited and investigated Yao, Maonan, Miao, Zhuang and Mulao minorities, and collected many historical relics and materials.

During period of Guangxi Normal University
In March 1954, Huang went to Gui county to make a field investigation and collect Zhuang ethnic's living condition and historical and revolutionary materials of Huang Dingfeng and Taiping rebellions that took place in Gui County. On 19 April 1954, under the instruction of Peng Zhen, a resolution was made at the March 31 conference, the Ethnic Committee of NPC made a document of primary scheme of investigation and research work on Chinese ethnics social and historical conditions in minorities areas. They decided to form several groups to investigate Chinese ethnics social and historical conditions, Yunnan group was led by Fei Xiaotong, Liu Guanying, joined by Fang Guoyu. Sichuan group led by Xia Kongnong, joined by Yang Xing and Hu Qingjun. North-west group led by Feng Jiasheng, joined by Chen Yongling.Guizhou group led by Wu ZeLing, joined by Liang Oudi. Guangdong and Hai Nan group led by Chen Jiawu. Guangxi group led by Huang Xianfan, Mo Qing. Xinjiang group led by Xinjiang working committee, joined by Li Youyi and Li Youzhai. Nei Meng and North-east group led by Qiu Pu and Weng Dujian. In the same year of August professor Huang took part in forming a group of investigation on Guangxi ethnics social history. He was vice group leader and head of Zhuang ethnic group, responsible for the whole group's academic investigation work. He led the group making a largest and deepest investigation on ethnic history and traditional culture in Guangxi history. They had collected a lot of valuable materials and laid a foundation for further research on Zhuang ethnic social and historical culture. That was a very important beginning for later development of Zhuang ethnic research and establishment of Guangxi institute of ethnic studies. During three periods of ethnic identification work after 1949, Fei Xiaotong, Huang Xianfan, Xia Kangnong and a lot of academic masters and scholars from anthropology and ethnic study circles had made their great contributions. It was upon this research work of national ethnic identification that the State Council could be able to announce there are 56 ethnics in China. This was also a pioneering contribution to Chinese ethnic studies. In the meantime, the world ethnic study circles had noticed this and gave very high comments. This was the reason that ethnic study circles called professor Huang a founder of modern Chinese ethnology. In July 1978, Huang formed a field investigation team and went to Nongzhou, Pingxiang, Ningming and Congzuo district. They collected a lot of valuable historical materials and studied the mountain frescos of Ningming in situ.In November 1979, Huang led a field investigation team to Baise, Tianyang, Tiandong and Bama districts to investigate and collect historical materials. In March 1981, he went to Sichuan to attend the first national seminar on cliff coffin and made academic investigation and collect historical materials there.

Historical Notion
Huang Xianfan had always emphasized "the importance of independent academic research", and take pioneering studies, academic freedom as his lifelong aspirations. His academic principle was "keep honest and not obedient to the authorities". He believed that the motto of academic research was "no authorities, no ends, no prohibitions". Professor Chen Jisheng pointed out: "The connotation of Professor Huang's academic theory was to connect traditional Chinese history studies with western new history theory in order to complement his favorite Puxue of Qing dynasty, Gu Yanwu's historiography thought with modern American Robinson's "New History". Professor Huang had made a great academic contribution to the New History's Practice and Construction in China. His academic works are characterised in connecting western theory of evolution with traditional Chinese theory of Seeking Truth and The Past Serve the Present". Professor Huang's lifelong pursuit of academic research was Dialectical unity of historical philosophy and historical science. Huang was consistently critical of works of Chinese general history that were published in the 20th century. He pointed out that those works were lacking descriptions of Chinese ethnicity, as if China's general history is the same as Han's general history. He was fighting the perception that China is only the equivalent of Han. He believed the riddance of the feudal concept ofchauvinism. He publicly opposed dogmatizing, formulizing and regulating Marxism. In 1957, Huang advocated a theory of "lacking of slave society", later on, in 1979 he brought forward a famous academic view: "no slave society in Chinese history". His theory was warmly agreed by most scholars from history circles. They called him "leader of Wunu school".

Ethnic Notion
Huang Xianfan had consistently argued against ethnic chauvinism. He believed that crux of the ethnic problems was caused by ethnical inequity, which had a major influence on ethnical conflicts in history. Professor Huang advocated the equality of each ethnic of the world and a "spiritual civilization with scientific attitude" on ethnic studies. By active practice, he became a forerunner of Zhuang studies in the 20th century. People therefore called him the "father of Zhuang studies". Based on this, he formed a Huang group of Zhuang studies and the famous Bagui School in Chinese history. The Huang group is a pioneering branch of the Chinese Bagui School of ethnology. It was formed in the 1950s and remains active. The Huang group members include Huang Xianfan and his 18 students, commonly referred to as the Huang Xianfan's 18 elite disciples. His students are professors or researchers work in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, most of whom work in the Guangxi Normal University and Guangxi University for Nationalities. This is an academic group from the Zhuang and Han scholars in combination. Zhuang scholars are Huang Xianfan, Huang Zengqing, Zhang Yiming, Li Guozhu, Su Guanchang, Li Ganfen, Zhou Zongxian, Qin Suguan, Zhou Zuoqiou, Huang Shaoqing, Huang Weicheng, He Yingde, He Longqun, Yu Shijie, Gong Yonghuei, Qin Deqing and Han scholars are Ou Yang Ruoxiou, Xiao Zechang, Zhou Zuoming in this group. The group members focus on the study of history, archeology, culture, folklore, education, literature, historical figures, Dulao system and Chieftain system of the Zhuang. As the all members of this group can speak minority languages, therefore, this group attaches great importance to the field survey. This is the significant academic characteristic of this group.

The Bagui School is an academic group of ethnologists that gathered around Huang Xianfan. It emerged as a school at the Guangxi Normal University in China when Huang Xianfan became a committeeman of Ethnic Affairs Committee of NPC and head of group of investigation on Guangxi ethnics social history in the mid-1950s. It is active in the Chinese ethnology during the second half of the 20th century and up to present. The Bagui School is the first ethnic school in China. It was particularly dominated by professor Huang Xianfan. Many of its members were Zhuang people who loved and cared about their nationality. Members of the school were all scholars who researched the culture and history of Zhuang nationality in Guangxi, they are all from different universities and ethnic research institutes. As consistently opposed to the ethnical chauvinism, it builds its research on an entirely unconventional framework, which is advocated the equality of each ethnic of China and a'spiritual civilization with scientific attitude' on ethnic studies. Members of the school had a common attitude towards Zhuang nationality. Today, the Bagui school of China continues as a school of Ethnology, have spawned several branch schools which also researched the history of Zhuang nationality.

For this reason, Huang Xianfan was also honored by ethnic academic circles as a leader of Bagui School.

Education Notion
Huang Xianfan started his research on education when he was an assistant director of Institute for Education Studies in Beijing Normal University. He believed that one of the important meaning of education was to mold students healthy personalities, and knowledge-action unity was a base for doing this. In 1981, he had founded Li Jiang Sparetimecollege, and worked as the college's head master. He was then a forerunner of private sponsored high educational institute in China since 1949. In his forty years teaching career, he always observed a principal aim of education for forming noble personalities. Mr Liang Chen Ye, the former vice chairman of Zhuang Autonomous Region of Guangxi had once commended that "professor Huang Xiafan had devoted his whole life to chinese high education and was a great master of education of his generation. He was very famous in modern Chinese history". People call Huang Xianfan's family a family of educators, for Mr. and Mrs. Huang and most of their children are teaching in schools or universities.

Academic style
Professor Huang Xianfan's academic style had three characteristics: 1. Pioneering study on history, 2. Multi-evidence method 3. New textual research method. Based on Wang Guowei's dual evidence method, Professor Huang had founded his own unique "tri-evidence method", which is a new academic research method that combines archeological materials(physical goods and character), historical documents, ethnological materials (historical remains and oral historical materials) in his textual research on ancient Chinese history and culture.

The 1940s during the Republic of China period
Huang Xianfan was a scholar first and foremost, dedicated to teaching and research. During the 1940s Republican era, he held no official positions and rarely involved himself in activities outside of academia, especially political party affairs. He never actively sought involvement in politics. However, as a member of the Zhuang ethnic group, his inherent sense of justice and defiance of authority often drew him into contentious situations. He never hesitated to speak up for students and colleagues facing unfair treatment, and his unwavering commitment to academic independence often found him caught in the crossfire of political turmoil. From 1938 to 1944, while Chen Lifu served as the Minister of Education, he implemented the policies of "party-run schools" and "party-based education," tightening the Kuomintang's grip on universities. After Gao Yang assumed the presidency of Guangxi University in 1941, he immediately detained a group of progressive students, most of whom came from impoverished backgrounds and had a good relationship with Professor Huang Xianfan. Professor Huang disapproved of the Kuomintang's Chen Cheng faction taking over Guangxi University. To voice support for the arrested students, he galvanized a student campaign to "Overthrow Gao." Ultimately, he faced persecution: Guangxi University terminated his contract, and even his wife, Liu Lihua, who taught at the university's affiliated primary school, was implicated and fired. Understandably, these incidents enraged him. Later, at the invitation of Professor Luo Xianglin, he transferred to Sun Yat-sen University as a history professor. After Gao Yang's departure in late 1942, Professor Huang resumed his post at Guangxi University to continue teaching. During the Kuomintang's rule, while Huang Xianfan was working at Guangxi University, Kuomintang members frequently courted him to join their ranks, but he remained unmoved. Communist Party members also sought him out at his residence at night, eager to enlist him, but he politely declined their offer as well. It wasn't until 1943 that Qiu Chen, a founding member of the Chinese Peasants' and Workers' Democratic Party (CPWDP) in Guangxi, successfully persuaded him to join. He became a committee member of the CPWDP's Guangxi branch. However, Huang Xianfan's life experiences clearly demonstrate a distinct lack of enthusiasm for any political parties or campaign. His overall indifference towards political affairs is evident throughout his lifelong activities.

The Anti-Rightist Campaign
With the Communist Party's ascent to power in 1949 and the subsequent founding of the People's Republic of China, Huang Xianfan, as a renowned professor in Guangxi, was appointed to various positions by the new regime.From 1949 to 1957, he was first appointed as a member of the People's Government of the Guixi Zhuang Autonomous Region. He then served as a member of both the Guangxi Provincial People's Committee and the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Regional People's Government. He served as both the Vice Leader of the Central-South Sub-group and the Leader of the Guangxi Sub-group within the central government's ethnic mission led by Fei Xiaotong. and deputy director of the Guangxi Social and Historical Investigation Group. His influence reached beyond Guangxi as well, leading to his election as a council member of the newly established Chinese People's Association for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries (known today as the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries). Furthermore, he served as a deputy to the National People's Congress, becoming a member of both the NPC's Ethnic Affairs Committee and the Central Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries. On April 27, 1957, the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party issued the "Directive Regarding the Rectification Campaign," setting in motion a Party-wide campaign aimed at rooting out bureaucratism, sectarianism, and subjectivism. Echoing Mao Zedong's call for open criticism— "I will speak frankly and share all my knowledge. The speaker should not be faulted, but the listener ought to take it as cautionary advice. Where mistakes exist, correct them; where they do not, use it as a lesson to further improve oneself." (知无不言，言无不尽，言者无罪，闻者足戒，有则改之,无则加勉) — the Party encouraged non-members to offer unfiltered opinions on its actions and the government. This invitation, however, inadvertently opened a Pandora's box.A wave of suggestions and opinions emerged, primarily from prominent intellectuals eager to contribute to the nation's revitalization and challenge one-party rule. These initially well-intentioned critiques, however, gradually transformed into pointed criticisms targeting the Communist Party and Mao Zedong himself. This deviation from Mao's initial vision for the Rectification Campaign – which was to leverage non-Party voices to silence internal dissent – brought the campaign to a halt. On June 8 of the same year, the Central Committee, under Mao's direction, issued the "Directive on Organizing Forces to Counterattack the Rightists' Offensive," marking the onset of the Anti-Rightist Campaign, a period that would descend into the most widespread persecution of intellectuals in Chinese history.Guo Moruo once said, "The speech of those without sin is faultless, while the speech of the sinful is certainly flawed." He also remarked, "If a person's words can shake the foundations of the country and yet remain blameless, then where is the rule of law?" Guo Moruo's statements are truly laughable. Has there ever been a precedent in Chinese or foreign history where a single person's words were capable of shaking the rule of a monarchy or the very foundations of a country? During the 1957 Rectification Campaign, Huang Xianfan famously declared, “Many CPC cadres were illiterate peasant workers without formal education. Such individuals lack the capacity to govern universities, let alone the nation.” Indeed, whether he was criticizing the ruling Kuomintang in the 1940s or the governing Communists in the 1950s, Huang remained a staunch advocate for academic freedom. He consistently challenged the notion of "party-run schools" and railed against "politicized education." He loathed the idea of amateurs dictating to professionals and instead championed "scholar-administered institutions" and "scientific education." "The party is not the school," he often argued, "and the party committee cannot substitute the faculty council." Could such bold pronouncements truly undermine an authoritarian regime?

A straightforward scholar like Huang Xianfan could not escape persecution during the Anti-Rightist era. After being labeled a "Rightist," he faced an overwhelming barrage of critical articles and big-character posters, along with various condemnation meetings at Guangxi Normal College.He faced a barrage of accusations, including undermining national unity, inciting discord between the CCP and the masses, and opposing the unified purchase and sale system.Outwardly, Huang was forced to accept the criticism, but inwardly, he never admitted guilt.He believed he was simply doing his duty as a representative to the People's Congress. He had answered the government's call by participating in the Hundred Flowers Campaign and expressing his honest opinions—actions he maintained were without fault. For instance, at one meeting criticizing him for certain "Rightist remarks," Huang defended himself, saying, "Some of the statements you criticize weren't made by me but by Mao Zedong. If he can say them, why can't I?" The critics immediately pounced, saying, "How dare you compare yourself to Chairman Mao? Your crime is even greater." At another condemnation meeting held in the college library, someone spoke up and said,"You people who oppose the Party and socialism, what's so great about you? You're all nothing but dog shit." As the library director since the educational reorganization in 1952, Huang, known as the biggest "Rightist" in Guangxi's academic circles, could no longer tolerate such insults. He retorted fiercely, "Dog shit has its use; it can fertilize farmers' fields. It's better than those who throw stones on someone who has fallen into a well,  who are lower than dog shit!"

Following this, on February 1, 1958, the Fifth Session of the First National People's Congress passed a resolution removing Fei Xiaotong, Huang Xianfan, and Ou Baichuan from their positions on the National Committee of the People's Congress. At the same time, Huang was stripped of nine other positions ranging from central to local levels, leaving him only as a member of the Guangxi Political Consultative Conference. Among the famous five "Rightist" historians in China (Huang Xianfan, Xiang Da, Lei Haizong, Wang Zhongmin, and Chen Mengjia), Huang held the highest political status. The Anti-Rightist Campaign was inherently a campaign of political persecution, and Huang Xianfan was considered the top of the five people being criticized. This was not without reason. He was not only wrongly labeled as the number one "Rightist" in Chinese historical academia and among the Zhuang people, but also one of the six famous "Rightist" figures among China's ethnic minorities (Long Yun of the Yi, Huang Xianfan of the Zhuang, Ou Baichuan of the Miao, Ma Songting of the Hui, Xiang Da of the Tujia, and Wang Yizhai of the Hui).

The Cultural Revolution
During the Cultural Revolution, Huang Xianfan suffered persecution once again.The Red Guards labeled him an "unrepentant major Rightist who had his cap removed," a "reactionary academic authority," and accused him of "launching a counterattack from an academic standpoint." he endured public denunciations, physical abuse including being paraded through the streets, subjected to isolation for scrutiny, and his home raided with books confiscated and destroyed. Huang Xianfan's repeated hardships were no accident. They were a direct result of his courageous resistance to authority and his unwavering commitment to the traditional Chinese historian's ideal of impartiality.Like many persecuted intellectuals of the time, he felt powerless. However, deep within, he refused to accept the criticisms, maintaining his stance much as he did during the Anti-Rightist Campaign, and never admitted wrongdoing.

According to his colleagues from the same school and department, "There was a time during the Cultural Revolution when several former students, now turned Red Guards, held a criticism session against Professor Huang. They disregarded their previous teacher-student relationship and, taking a revolutionary stance, accused him of poisoning their minds. Upon hearing this, Professor Huang, with his characteristic tilt of the head and a few 'Ah! Ah!'s, calmly replied, 'That's not quite accurate! If we're talking about poisoning, it was you who willingly sought my guidance, not me actively trying to influence you.' This witty retort left the young revolutionaries with little more than hollow slogans before they retreated. Such composed handling of adversity and solving of problems with humor became anecdotes that circulated for a long time." During the Cultural Revolution, Huang Xianfan was essentially under house arrest. Thereafter, he withdrew from worldly affairs and devoted himself wholeheartedly to writing for ten years.

Later years
The Cultural Revolution ended in 1976, and reforms began in 1978. Huang Xianfan's rightist persecution was not overturned until 1979. He was the earliest born, longest-lived among the five major rightists in the field of history, and the only one to be rehabilitated during his lifetime. After 1979, he was successively appointed as a consultant for the first sessions of the Chinese Ethnology Society and the Chinese Southwest Nationalities Research Society, as well as Vice President of the Baiyue Ethnic History Research Society. He also served as a member of the editorial committee for the "Encyclopedia of Chinese Ethnicities" and as a member of the Fifth National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. During his tenure as a member of the CPPCC National Committee, He did a great deal of work to assist the government in overturning unjust, false, and wrongful cases. For example, there was a former student from the Physics Department of Guangxi Normal University who, during the Anti-Rightist Campaign in 1957, was wrongly imprisoned. He resisted the false charges, appealing multiple times and escaping from prison twice. Initially sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve with a commutation to life imprisonment, this rightist spent 23 years in prison. Through Huang Xianfan's extensive efforts, he was finally exonerated and released without charge in August 1981, ending his 23-year ordeal of wrongful imprisonment and allowing him to return to work in the Physics Department of Guangxi Normal University.

He died in 1982 at the age of 84, having lived through four eras in Chinese history – the Qing dynasty, the Beiyang Government, the Republic of China, and the People's Republic of China. In an essay titled "My Father," his son Gan Jinshan wrote: "The ups and downs of his life's honor and disgrace encapsulated the experience of Chinese intellectuals. My father's life often reminds me of Lu Xun's words: Since ancient times, China has had people who buried their heads in hard work, people who struggled with all their might, There are those who speak for the people, people who gave up their lives in the pursuit of truth - they are the backbone of China." This man's long life spanned a tumultuous period in Chinese history, witnessing the fall of imperial rule, the rise and fragmentation of republican government, and having experienced the various political movements of the People's Republic of China. Yet, as an intellectual, he persisted through the shifting political winds, standing firm in his convictions despite facing both acclaim and oppression. His unwavering spirit exemplified the qualities praised by Lu Xun - diligence, determination, selflessness and a tireless quest for truth. A life emblematic of Chinese intellectuals' resilience, serving as a powerful reminder of the enduring impact of principled belief and action against adversity.

On November 13, 1998, Guilin Middle School established the "Huang Xianfan Scholarship" to be awarded annually on the same date. In November 1999, a commemorative symposium was held at Guangxi Normal University to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Professor Huang Xianfan's birth. After the symposium, a commemorative anthology and a selected collection of his academic papers titled "A Preliminary Exploration of Ancient Book Interpretations - Selected Academic Papers by Huang Xianfan" were published. Guangxi Normal University and Guilin Middle School now offer the "Huang Xianfan Minority Scholarship" and "Huang Xianfan Scholarship" respectively to honor his memory. On November 13, 2003, Guangxi Normal University established the "Huang Xianfan Publishing Fund." Huang Xianfan's former residence was approved as a cultural heritage site in Fusui County on August 21, 2017. In February 2018, the Fusui County government invested several hundred thousand yuan to renovate the "Huang Xianfan Former Residence." In the same year, Nanhu Park in Nanning, Guangxi, established a path commemorating renowned figures, with an inscription about Huang Xianfan's biography along the path. The first full-body standing bronze statue of Huang Xianfan was erected in his hometown by the Culture and Sports Bureau of Fusui County Government. On September 10, 2022, which coincided with Teachers' Day and the Mid-Autumn Festival, an unveiling ceremony for "Mr. Huang Xianfan's Statue" was held in Leyangcheng, Fusui. The second full-body seated bronze statue of Huang Xianfan was installed by Guangxi Normal University on November 13, 2023, marking the 124th anniversary of Professor Huang Xianfan's birth. This statue is located in front of the Comprehensive Teaching Building on the Yanshan Campus of Guangxi Normal University. These statues serve as a tribute to the esteemed scholar and educator, commemorating his invaluable contributions to academia and society.

Family
Huang Xianfan and his wife, Liu Lihua, an educator with a 50-year career, had nine children together. Under Huang Xianfan's strict yet effective parenting, all of their offspring went on to lead accomplished lives. Notably, two of their children attained the rank of university professor, including Huang Xiaoling, who taught at Guangxi medical school.Despite the turbulent times they lived through, with China undergoing massive political and social upheaval, Huang Xianfan and Liu Lihua instilled core values of integrity, diligence, fearlessness, and a thirst for knowledge in their children. Their parenting philosophy, rooted in traditional Confucian principles yet adapting to the modern era, equipped their progeny with the tools to navigate challenges and seize opportunities.This emphasis on education and hard work paid dividends, as all nine siblings excelled in their respective fields.

Major works

 * Outline of Chinese History. Beijing: Beiping Culture Society, 1932, 1934.
 * Foreign history of high school. Beijing: Beiping Lida Bookstore, 1933.
 * Brief Introduction on Tang Dynasty. Shanghai: Commercial Press, 1936. 1937 (Reprint 2009 (Jilin Publishing Group Reprint).
 * Save Nation Movement of Tai-Xue students in Song Dynasty. Shanghai: Commercial Press, 1936, 1956, 1965 (Taipei: Wenxing Bookstore Reprint), 1996 (Shanghai: Shanghai Bookstore Reprint), 2000 (Jilin Publishing Group Reprint).
 * Speech of Chinese History. Nanning: Guangxi University, 1938.
 * Chinese social history in Yin Dynasty. Nanning: Guangxi University, 1950.
 * History of China's feudal society. Nanning: Guangxi University, 1952.
 * Selected Readings in Chinese history books. Guilin: Guangxi Normal University, 1953.
 * Zhuang history of resistance to oppression. Nanning: Guangxi social and historical investigation team, 1957.
 * Brief History of the Zhuang. Nanning: Guangxi Peoples's Press, 1957.
 * Establishment of the Soviet regime in Youjiang. Guilin: Guangxi Normal University, 1957.
 * Survey of the Guangxi Daxin County Zhuang. Nanning: Guangxi social and historical investigation team, 1957.
 * On the social and historical survey of Guangxi Zhuang. Nanning: Guangxi, social and historical investigation team, 1957.
 * Introduction to classical writings read. Guilin: Guangxi Normal University, 1962.
 * Formation of the Han. Guilin: Guangxi Normal University, 1976.
 * No Slave Society in Chinese History. Guilin: Guangxi Normal University Press, 1981.
 * Nong Zhigao. Nanning: Guangxi Peoples's Press, 1983,, , ,
 * General History of the Zhuang. Nanning: Guangxi National Press, 1988. ISBN 7-5363-0422-6/K·13
 * Introduction on Chinese Ancient Books. Guilin: Guangxi Normal University Press, 2004. ISBN 7-5633-4743-7
 * A Critical Biography of Wei Baqun. Guilin: Guangxi Normal University Press, 2008. ISBN 978-7-5633-7656-8
 * China's History Had No Slave Society - Also on Ancient Slaves of the World and Their Social Forms.by Huang Xianfan. Guilin: Guangxi Normal University Press, 2015. 800,000 words.(Guangxi Normal University Press)(Google books)
 * Huang Xianfan's Autobiography.As Told by Huang Xianfan,Gan Wenjie, Gan Wenhao, and Gan Jinshan(ed.), Guilin: Guangxi Normal University Press, 2018, 520,000 words.(Guangxi Normal University Press)(Google books)

Major Articles
The following are the Articles written by Huang Xianfan.


 * Data source: Huang Xianfan. Introduction on Chinese Ancient Books. Guilin: Guangxi Normal University Press, 2004.p. 560-567(works and articles catalog).