As well as costing her an architecture degree, Lin Huiyin’s gender would lead many to focus on her looks and alleged love affairs over her groundbreaking work
On May 18, 2024, the University of Pennsylvania awarded Lin Huiyin (林徽因) with an architecture degree, exactly 100 years after they refused to admit her into their undergraduate program because she was a woman.
Dubbed the “first and most famous female architect in modern China” by the university, Lin is renowned in her home country but barely registers abroad. “When you come to America, everyone knows of Frank Lloyd Wright. When you go to China, everyone knows of Lin and [her husband] Liang [Sicheng],” said Genie Birch, a professor at Lin’s alma mater, now known as the Stuart Weitzman School of Design at the University of Pennsylvania, after Lin was honored. But compared to her decorated husband, Lin’s professional achievements often receive less attention than popular narratives about her personal life, including praises of her beauty and style, and rumors of various love affairs.
With the news of Lin’s belated degree quickly going viral on Chinese social media, her name is again in the public eye. It is therefore a good opportunity to revisit her legacy and correct the prejudice and stereotypes that have overshadowed Lin’s story.
Related Articles
