Lu Xun

Lu Xun ({{zh-tspw|t=??|s=??|p=L? Xùn|w=Lu Hsün}}) or Lu Hsün (September 25, 1881 – October 19, 1936), the pen name of Zhou Shuren ({{zh-tsp|t=???|s=???|p=Zh?u Shùrén}}), has been considered the most influential Chinese writer of the 20th century and is seen as the founder of modern baihua (白话 báihuà) or vernacular Chinese literature. His social thought, which substantially criticized traditional cultural values, was also highly influential in 20th century Chinese history, in particular, to the May Fourth Movement and the strains of thought it gave rise to, which in turn had a great impact on the Chinese communist movement and the rise of the People's Republic of China. He was also a noted translator and helped introduce Chinese to modern international literature.

Later career

Between 1924 to 1926, Lu wrote his masterpiece of ironic reminiscences, Zhaohua Xishi (朝花夕拾, Dawn Dew-light Collected at Dusk, published 1928), as well as the prose poem collection Ye Cao (野草, Wild Grass, published 1927). Lu Xun also wrote some of the stories to be published in his second short story collection Pang Huang (彷徨, Wandering) in 1926. In 1930 Lu Xun published Zhongguo Xiaoshuo Lüeshi (中国小说略史, A Concise History of Chinese Fiction), a comprehensive overview of Chinese fiction and one of the landmark pieces of twentieth-century Chinese literary criticism.

Related Topics:
1924 - 1926 - 1928 - 1927 - 1930

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His other important works include volumes of translations -- notably from Russian (he particularly admired Nikolai Gogol and made a translation of Dead Souls, and his own first story is inspired by Gogol), -- discursive writings like Re Feng (热风, Hot Wind), and many other works such as prose essays, which number around 20 volumes or more. As a left-wing writer, Lu played an important role in the history of Chinese literature. His books were and remain highly influential and popular even today, particularly amongst youths. Lu Xun's works also appear in high school textbooks in Japan. He is known to Japanese by the name Rojin (ロジン in Katakana or 魯迅 in Kanji).

Related Topics:
Nikolai Gogol - Dead Souls - Left-wing

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Lu Xun was also the editor of several left-wing magazines such as New Youth (新青年, Xin Qingnian) and Sprouts (萌芽, Meng Ya). He was the brother of another important Chinese political figure and essayist Zhou Zuoren (周作人). Though highly sympathetic of the Chinese Communist movement, Lu Xun never joined the Chinese Communist Party. Because of his leanings, and of the role his works played in the subsequent history of the People's Republic of China, Lu Xun's works were banned in Taiwan until late 1980s. He was among the early supporters of the Esperanto movement in China.

Related Topics:
Left-wing - New Youth - Zhou Zuoren - Chinese Communist movement - Chinese Communist Party - People's Republic of China - Taiwan - Esperanto

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