Duanmu Hongliang
Encyclopedia
Duanmu Hongliang (25 September 1912 in Liaoning
) is a notable Chinese author
whose works were prominent during the Second Sino-Japanese War
and for whom the land and environment were pivotal fictional elements. He died in Beijing
on October 5, 1996, at the age of 84.
Duanmu attended Tsinghua University
where he studied and wrote fiction, but returned to his homeland of Manchuria
in his post-university years. His fiction in both short stories and novels are characterized by the 'native soil' style, which heavily emphasizes the agrarian environment and heartland values of his homeland region, a style pioneered by Duanmu and other Modern Chinese authors such as Shen Congwen
.
In his novels dating from before the Communist victory in 1949, Duanmu evidences his ardour for the Manchurian landscape and environment most evidently in "The Khorchin Grasslands" (科爾沁旗草原), Duanmu's first full-length novel. "Eyes of Daybreak" (黎明的眼睛) and "An Early Spring" (早春) are his most important short stories, featuring earthy characters and simple plots focused on rural people, shown in a very positive light.
Liaoning
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the northeast of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "辽" , a name taken from the Liao River that flows through the province. "Níng" means "peace"...
) is a notable Chinese author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
whose works were prominent during the Second Sino-Japanese War
Second Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War was a military conflict fought primarily between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. From 1937 to 1941, China fought Japan with some economic help from Germany , the Soviet Union and the United States...
and for whom the land and environment were pivotal fictional elements. He died in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
on October 5, 1996, at the age of 84.
Duanmu attended Tsinghua University
Tsinghua University
Tsinghua University , colloquially known in Chinese as Qinghua, is a university in Beijing, China. The school is one of the nine universities of the C9 League. It was established in 1911 under the name "Tsinghua Xuetang" or "Tsinghua College" and was renamed the "Tsinghua School" one year later...
where he studied and wrote fiction, but returned to his homeland of Manchuria
Manchuria
Manchuria is a historical name given to a large geographic region in northeast Asia. Depending on the definition of its extent, Manchuria usually falls entirely within the People's Republic of China, or is sometimes divided between China and Russia. The region is commonly referred to as Northeast...
in his post-university years. His fiction in both short stories and novels are characterized by the 'native soil' style, which heavily emphasizes the agrarian environment and heartland values of his homeland region, a style pioneered by Duanmu and other Modern Chinese authors such as Shen Congwen
Shen Congwen
Shen Congwen was the pen name of a Miao Chinese writer from the May Fourth Movement. He was known for combining the vernacular style of writing with classical Chinese writing techniques, and his writing also reflects a strong influence from western literature. He was born as Shen Yuehuan on 1902...
.
In his novels dating from before the Communist victory in 1949, Duanmu evidences his ardour for the Manchurian landscape and environment most evidently in "The Khorchin Grasslands" (科爾沁旗草原), Duanmu's first full-length novel. "Eyes of Daybreak" (黎明的眼睛) and "An Early Spring" (早春) are his most important short stories, featuring earthy characters and simple plots focused on rural people, shown in a very positive light.