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