Chinese Trends

Wen Yun, whose pen name is Wen Huasha, is famous for his prominent contribution in the research for Chu Ci (An ancient Chinese anthology of poems, which is also called The Songs of the South). Wen's original family came from Hunan Province, and he was born in Beijing, 1910. He was a professor at the National Female Normal School and Shanghai Drama Academy at the age of 18. After the liberation of China, he taught in Peking University, Tsinghua University, Peking Normal University and the Central Institute of Fine Arts, as professor, visiting professor or advisor. He is profoundly knowledgeable in Chinese traditional learning, poetry in all the dynasties, Buddhism, physics, research of Dream of the Red Mansion, music, drama, painting and calligraphy.

A Chu Ci Master, a Living Qu Yuan

Wen Huaisha showed his intelligence clearly in his early years, reciting Li Sao (one of the most famous Chu Ci, written by Qu Yuan, one of the greatest poets in ancient China) at 12 years old, studying with master Zhang Taiyan in Chinese traditional Academe as a teenager and being a professor at the National Female Normal School when he was 18. In 1953, it took Wen only one month to finish his most famous work, The Volume of Qu Yuan, which shocked the academia deeply at that time.

Not only was Wen literarily and artistically talented, but his spirit was also like Qu Yuan, the great poet who loved his home country so much. During the Cultural Revolution, Wen was kept in prison in Linfen, Shanxi Province. He could have freed himself by writing a repentant announcement, but he refused.

Broad Mind, Broad Spirit

On an autumn day 1986, Ma Xuehong (an Art department editor at the People's Radio Station of Shanghai) found a copy of a lecture Wen had given 30 years previous explaining Shi Jing (the Book of Odes, the oldest classical Chinese script) and broadcasted it. However, during the broadcast, Ma made reference to Wen's passing away. Soon letters and phone calls began pouring into the station, correcting Ma on his mistake. He waited nervously for Wen's condemnation, but instead, received a letter not only forgiving Ma for his mistake, but thanking him and the station for running the broadcast.