Ye Zhishan

Ye Zhishan (; April 24, 1918 – March 4, 2006) was a Chinese editor, publisher, and science popularizer. He was a leading figure in children's literature and publishing, and a prominent member of the China Association for Promoting Democracy. Ye served as vice chairman and honorary vice chairman of the China Association for Promoting Democracy and was a member and standing committee member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC). He is the son of Ye Shengtao.

Biography

Ye Zhishan was born in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, in April 1918, into a literary family; his father was the renowned writer and educator Ye Shengtao. During his youth, Ye assisted his father in editing children's publications. After completing secondary education at the National Central Technical School, he worked as a technician in various enterprises. In 1942, he published a collection of early writings with his siblings, gaining practical experience in editing and selecting manuscripts under his father's guidance.

In 1945, Ye helped organize the children's periodical Enlightened Youth and, after the end of the Second Sino-Japanese War, formally joined the publishing house Shanghai Kai Ming Bookstore. He edited and contributed to publications covering natural sciences, humanities, arts, and literature. Ye played a leading role in editing the Enlightened Youth Series and other educational works. In 1950, he moved with the publishing house to Beijing and, in 1952, helped establish the Zhongxuesheng magazine, focusing on cultural and educational content. He was involved in editing and writing rural education primers, and founding the first Chinese popular science magazine for children, We Love Science.

In 1953, Ye was appointed director of the editorial office at China Youth Publishing House and, in 1956, became the first president and editor-in-chief of China Children's Press & Publication Group. He joined the China Democratic League in 1963. During the Cultural Revolution, Ye was subjected to political persecution and sent to a labor camp, but he returned to his editorial work in 1977, leading the production of over 200 volumes of encyclopedic works for children, including Chinese Historical Stories.

Ye devoted himself to compiling and proofreading the 25-volume Collected Works of Ye Shengtao and the 400,000-word biography A Long Life of My Father.

Other roles

Deputy director of the editorial committee of China Youth Publishing House

Distinctions

2008: One of the “Ten Outstanding Figures in Science Communication” by the China Association for Science and Technology in 2008