Xu Zhimo was originally given the name Zhangxu when he was born on January 15th, 1895. He was the only child from a rich family in Xiashi town, China. Though Zhimo’s father had always wanted him to either become a successful businessman or a scholar, Zhimo had shown interest in nature since he was a child. He started studying at age of five, which was early at that time. His teachers considered him an intelligent, clever, and active student.