Editing Hu Shih (section)

== Vernacular style ==
Hu Shih was part of the Chinese language reform movement and used the vernacular style in writing articles. The opposite style of writing is Classical Chinese, and one of the key leaders of this language was [[Zhang Shizhao]]. Hu Shih and Zhang Shizhao had only a ten-year age difference, but the men seemed to be of differing generations.<ref name="Ji'an2006">{{Cite journal |last=Ji'an |first=Bai |title=Hu Shi and Zhang Shizhao |journal=Chinese Studies in History |year=2006 |volume=39 |issue=3 |pages=3–32 |doi=10.2753/csh0009-4633390301 |s2cid=159799416 |issn=0009-4633}}</ref>

In October 1919, after visiting {{Ill|Wu Luzhen|zh|吴禄贞}} in China, Hu Shih said with emotion: "In the last ten years, only deceased personalities like [[Song Jiaoren]], [[Cai E]], and Wu Luzhen have been able to maintain their great reputation. The true features of living personalities are soon detected. This is because the times change too quickly. If a living personality does not try his utmost, he falls behind and soon becomes "against the time".<ref name="Ji'an2006" /> In Hu Shih's ideals, only dead people can hold their reputation; the world will soon know the real value and personality of a person if they do not follow the times. They will fall back in time soon if they are not trying to find changes that encourage writers in old China to follow the new revolution and start using the new vernacular style of writing. They cannot stay in the old style; otherwise, they will fall back in time. Furthermore, Hu Shih meant that China needed more new things.

Zhang was the biggest 'enemy' of the vernacular style, According to [[Liang Shuming|Liang Souming]]: "Lin Shu and Zhang Shizhao were two most significant people against vernacular style of writing in history".<ref name="Ji'an2006" /> But in fact, Hu Shih and Zhang Shizhao had a big age difference; when Zhang was at work in Shanghai, Hu was only a middle school student.