Cài Yuánpéi (蔡元培, Wade-Giles: Ts'ai Yüan-p'ei) (January 11, 1868 - March 5, 1940) was a Chinese educator and the chancellor of the Peking University, and known for his critical evaluation of the Chinese culture that led to the May Fourth Movement.
Born in Shānyīn Village, Shaoxing Subprefecture, Zhejiang Province, Cai was appointed to the Hanlin Imperial Academy at 26. In 1898, he became involved in administering institutes and became:
- Superintendent of Shaoxing Chinese-Western School (紹興中西學堂監督)
- Head of Shèng District Shànshān College (嵊縣剡山書院院長)
- Director-Teacher of the Special Class of Nanyang Public School (南洋公學特班總教習)
He established Guangfuhui in 1904 and joined Tongmenghui the next year.
After studying philosophy, psychology, and art history in the Universität Leipzig of Germany in 1907, he became the provisional Republic's Minister of Education in January 1912, but later resigned during Yuan Shikai's presidency. He then return to Germany, and then went to France.
Cai return to China in 1916 to became the Chancellor of Peking University the next year. In 1927, he co-founded the National College of Music, which later became the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. In April 1928, he became the first president of the Academia Sinica.
Cai proposed the equal importance of five ways of life -- "Virtue, Wisdom, Health, Collective, and Beauty" (德、智、體、群、美) -- that are still learned as a slogan today in Taiwan. He was also an opponent of foot binding and concubinage, as well as being a proponent of divorce and remarriage.
Cai Yuanpei died at the age of 76 in Hong Kong.
