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.

Life

Early life

Born in Shaoxing, Zhejiang province, Lu Xun was first named Zhou Zhangshu and later renamed Shuren, literally, "to nurture a man". His family was educated and of the genteel class, but poor. His father's long sickness and eventual death during his adolescence persuaded Zhou to take up medical science. Distrusting Traditional Chinese medicine (which in his time was often practiced by charlatans), he set out to study Westernized medicine in Tohoku High Medical Institute (nowadays part of Tohoku University) in Sendai, Japan.

Related Topics:
Shaoxing - Zhejiang - Genteel - Adolescence - Traditional Chinese medicine - Charlatan - West - Medicine - Tohoku University - Sendai - Japan

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Lu Xun, in a widely known account, later explained why he consciously gave up the pursuit of a medical career. One day after class, one of his Japanese instructors showed a lantern slide which depicted an imminent public execution of an alleged Chinese spy by Japanese soldiers, surrounded by his Chinese compatriots. Lu Xun was shocked by the apathy of the Chinese at the execution and decided that it was more important to cure his fellow-countrymen spiritually rather than their bodies. Abandoning his studies and returning to China in 1909, he became a lecturer in the Peking University and began writing.

Related Topics:
Japanese - Lantern slide - Bodies - 1909 - Peking University

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