Edison and Pei Jinming, these two figures, one is the king of invention in the West, and the other is the master builder of the East. Thomas Edison, an American inventor in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, is famous for his more than 1,000 inventions, and the electric light bulb is one of his most famous inventions. And Pei Jinming, the Chinese architect of the mid-20th century, is known worldwide for his architectural designs that combine tradition and modernity, such as the Xiangshan Hotel in Beijing and the glass pyramid of the Louvre in France.
The difference between these two is, first of all, in their field. Edison was a scientist and inventor, and his world was a laboratory, a variety of mechanical devices, a constant trial and failure. Pei Jinming, on the other hand, is an artist and architect, and his stage is an architectural drawing, a spatial layout, and a fusion of culture and aesthetics.
Coming back to their background, Edison was in the period of the Second Industrial Revolution, which was an era of rapid scientific advancement, a symbol of the need to illuminate the dark era. Pei Jinming was at the climax of the modern architectural movement, which was a period of equal emphasis on architectural art and functionalism, and an era of cultural exchanges and collisions between the East and the West.
The impact of their achievements varies. Edison's invention profoundly changed the way of life of mankind and promoted the development of modern civilization. Pei Jinming's architectural works have influenced the development of world architecture with their unique oriental aesthetics and philosophical thoughts, and have become a bridge for cultural exchanges between the East and the West.
In general, Edison and Bezinming, one illuminates the world, the other beautifies the world. The difference between them is the embodiment of the characteristics of their respective fields and the background of the times.