A statue of Wei Jiangong who is known as the "father of Xinhua Dictionary". [Photo/ntfabu.com]

A memorial hall commemorating the life of Wei Jiangong (1901-1980), who is known as the "father of Xinhua Dictionary", opened to the public in Hai'an, a county-level city administered by Nantong in East China's Jiangsu province, on Nov 17.

Located in the Hai'an Economic and Technological Development Zone, the memorial hall has a floor space of 1,860 square meters. Featuring information on Wei's life and academic achievements, it also contains some of his academic works and possessions.

Different versions of the Xinhua Dictionary are displayed in the memorial hall. [Photo/ntfabu.com]

Wei Jiangong, was a famous linguist and educator who was born in Hai'an in 1901. In 1946, he visited Taiwan to promote and teach Putonghua (Mandarin). In 1950, Wei served as the head of Xinhua Dictionary Society and presided over the editing of the Xinhua Dictionary – the most authoritative Chinese dictionary – and participated in many revisions. As a result, he is known as the "father of Xinhua Dictionary".

Using language as a tool, Wei made it his duty to improve the quality of the national culture. There are many dialects in China due to its vast territory and multiple nationalities. Therefore, it is important to set up a uniform pronunciation for more efficient communication. Wei made great contributions to the standardization and spread of Putonghua.

"I'm exciting to visit the memorial hall and shocked by the rich material and content on display here. It truly represents the life of Grandpa Wei and demonstrates his academic pursuit and patriotism," said Miao Hua, a representative of Wei's descendants.