Abstract: Taking as its theme the generational legacy of a textbook from the Fluid Mechanics Laboratory at Tianjin University, this article recounts the inspiring contributions of senior generation of scientists like Zhang Guofan and Shu Wei, who laid the foundations for the Applied Mechanics program and the Fluid Mechanics Laboratory at Tianjin University in the last century. Their stories stand as exemplary models, inspiring future generations to forge ahead with perseverance and make unremitting efforts toward the advancement of China's mechanics discipline.