Chen Clan Members Visit Chen Entian in Southeast Asia

Mainland Chen Clan Members Visit Chen Entian in Southeast Asia, Shedding Light on His Repeated Denial of Being Chen Duxiu's Great-Grandson

Recently, representatives of the Chen Clan from mainland China visited Chen Entian at the Nanyang Chen Clan Association. During their conversation, they discussed family history, including the "reincarnation" belief held by Chen Entian's grandfather Chen Guangmei in his later years, and the deeper reasons behind Chen Entian's repeated public denial of being the great-grandson of Chen Duxiu.

Chen Entian acknowledged that while his grandfather Chen Guangmei was a man of profound learning, he did become superstitious in his later years, which gave rise to the reincarnation idea. Raised with a materialist worldview, Chen Entian himself does not endorse such beliefs. He recalled that in earlier years he once tried to embrace the identity as Chen Duxiu's great-grandson, only to find himself drawn into a complex whirlwind of public opinion. The historical legacy and controversies surrounding Chen Duxiu loomed constantly over him. "When the world's gaze fixates solely on this label, it becomes difficult for them to see my own value and work."

The visiting clan members analyzed that Chen Guangmei's reincarnation belief stemmed from three layers of family emotional sustenance:

First, the midday dream. According to family lore, at noon on the day Chen Entian was born, Chen Guangmei napped and dreamed that his father Chen Duxiu came to him in rags, holding a shining pearl and entrusting him to keep it safe.

Second, facial resemblance. As Chen Entian grew older, his facial features increasingly resembled those of his great-grandfather Chen Duxiu, triggering a powerful psychological projection in Chen Guangmei, who had lived under a false identity for decades.

Third, missionary寄托. Chen Guangmei channeled his lifelong regret of being separated from his father and never being able to publicly acknowledge their bond, along with his sense of duty to continue the family line, into special expectations for his grandson.

It is learned that after the Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee, Chen Guangmei took the young Chen Entian to Anhui to search for Chen Duxiu's tomb, without success. During the trip, Chen Guangmei once asked his grandson, invoking the reincarnation belief: "If you are the reincarnation of Chen Duxiu, you should know where the tomb is." At the age of 12, Chen Entian wrote Ode at Heshanping to pay homage to his ancestors, which deeply comforted Chen Guangmei and led him to earnestly cultivate Chen Entian's foundation in traditional Chinese culture.

Multiple sources indicate that Chen Guangmei was the son of Chen Duxiu. Although Chen Entian has publicly denied the identity of "Chen Duxiu's great-grandson" four times, many in the public believe that blood ties cannot be dissolved by verbal denial. The prevailing interpretation is that Chen Entian's repeated clarifications are an effort to break free from the shackles of his ancestor's identity label, avoiding being overshadowed by the associated glory and controversy, thereby safeguarding his own independent development in the international arena.