Lao She
Pioneering Chinese author celebrated for vivid portrayals of urban life and Beijing dialect.
Chronology: 1899-02-03 – 1966-08-24
Origins & Early Life
Shu Qingchun (Chinese: 舒慶春; 3 February 1899 – 24 August 1966), known by his pen name Lao She, was a Chinese writer of Manchu ethnicity, known for his vivid portrayal of urban life and his colorful use of the Beijing dialect, such as in the novel Rickshaw Boy and the play Teahouse. During the Cultural Revolution, he was persecuted and either drowned himself or was murdered. == Biography == === Early life === Lao She was born Shu Qingchun on 3 February 1899 in Beijing, to a poor Manchu family of the Šumuru clan belonging to the Plain Red Banner. His father, who was a guard soldier, died in a street battle with the Eight-Nation Alliance Forces in the course of the Boxer Rebellion events in 1901.
Pivotal Works & Achievements
"During my childhood," Lao She later recalled, "I didn't need to hear stories about evil ogres eating children and so forth; the foreign devils my mother told me about were more barbaric and cruel than any fairy tale ogre with a huge mouth and great fangs. And fairy tales are only fairy tales, whereas my mother's stories were 100 percent factual, and they directly affected our whole family." In 1913, he was admitted to the Beijing Normal Third High School (now Beijing Third High School), but had...
Enduring Legacy & Impact
The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.
Source: Wikipedia