We just got the news that Chen Ning Yang, one of the most influential figures in twentieth-century physics, has died in Beijing after a long life devoted to science and education. Born in eastern China and later awarded the Nobel Prize alongside Tsung-Dao Lee, Yang's work transformed the understanding of fundamental physical laws. After years abroad, he returned to China to teach at Tsinghua University, where he had also spent part of his childhood. The institution marked his passing with a muted tribute on its website, honouring a scholar whose journey came full circle. "My life has been a circle, where I started out from a point, travelled a long way, and finally returned to where I came from," Yang was cited as saying by Tsinghua. Rest in peace, Chen Ning Yang.