Gu Cheng
Encyclopedia
Gu Cheng was a famous Chinese
modern poet
, essayist, and novelist. He was a prominent member of the "Misty Poets
", a group of Chinese modernist poets.
. At the age of twelve, his family was sent down to rural Shandong
because of the Cultural Revolution
(as means of re-education) where they bred pigs
. There, he claimed to have learned poetry directly from nature
.
In the late 1970s, Cheng became associated with the journal "Today" (Jintian) which began a movement in poetry known as "menglong" meaning "hazy, "obscure". He became an international celebrity and travelled around the world accompanied by his wife, Xie Ye. The two settled in Rocky Bay, a small village on Waiheke Island
, Auckland
, New Zealand
in 1987. Cheng taught Chinese at the University of Auckland
in the City of Auckland
.
In October 1993, Gu Cheng attacked his wife before hanging himself. She died later in a hospital. The story of his death was widely covered in the Chinese media
Han Chinese
Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...
modern poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
, essayist, and novelist. He was a prominent member of the "Misty Poets
Misty Poets
The Misty Poets are a group of 20th century Chinese poets who reacted against the restrictions of the Cultural Revolution.They are so named because their work has been officially denounced as "obscure", "misty", or "hazy" poetry...
", a group of Chinese modernist poets.
Biography
Gu Cheng began life in privilege as the son of a prominent party member. His father was the army poet Gu GongGu Gong
Gu Gong was a Chinese military poet....
. At the age of twelve, his family was sent down to rural Shandong
Shandong
' is a Province located on the eastern coast of the People's Republic of China. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history from the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River and served as a pivotal cultural and religious site for Taoism, Chinese...
because of the Cultural Revolution
Cultural Revolution
The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, commonly known as the Cultural Revolution , was a socio-political movement that took place in the People's Republic of China from 1966 through 1976...
(as means of re-education) where they bred pigs
PIGS
PIGS is a four letter acronym that can stand for:* PIGS , Phosphatidylinositol glycan anchor biosynthesis, class S, a human gene* PIGS , the economies of Portugal, Italy , Greece and Spain...
. There, he claimed to have learned poetry directly from nature
Nature
Nature, in the broadest sense, is equivalent to the natural world, physical world, or material world. "Nature" refers to the phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general...
.
In the late 1970s, Cheng became associated with the journal "Today" (Jintian) which began a movement in poetry known as "menglong" meaning "hazy, "obscure". He became an international celebrity and travelled around the world accompanied by his wife, Xie Ye. The two settled in Rocky Bay, a small village on Waiheke Island
Waiheke Island
Waiheke Island is an island in the Hauraki Gulf of New Zealand, located about from Auckland.The island is the second-largest in the Hauraki Gulf after Great Barrier Island. It is the most populated, with nearly 8,000 permanent residents plus another estimated 3,400 who have second or holiday homes...
, Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
in 1987. Cheng taught Chinese at the University of Auckland
University of Auckland
The University of Auckland is a university located in Auckland, New Zealand. It is the largest university in the country and the highest ranked in the 2011 QS World University Rankings, having been ranked worldwide...
in the City of Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
.
In October 1993, Gu Cheng attacked his wife before hanging himself. She died later in a hospital. The story of his death was widely covered in the Chinese media
Further reading
- Chinese Writers on Writing featuring Gu Cheng. Ed. Arthur SzeArthur SzeArthur Sze is a second-generation Chinese American poet.-Background:Sze was educated at the University of California, Berkeley, and is the author of eight books of poetry...
. (Trinity University Press, 2010).
External links
- Dead in Exile: The Life and Death of Gu Cheng and Xie Ye by Anne-Marie Brady. A personal account and review of several books about Gu Cheng and Xie Ye's last days.
- Gu Cheng's Fortress official website by a small group of people who studied Gu Cheng's work.