Li Ao this person

Author: Chen Caisheng
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-01-01
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Author's Note: After joining a university, by chance, I found myself in the field of "Li Ao Studies." The old man who stubbornly resisted darkness on the island of Taiwan for his entire life unexpectedly consumed years of my energy, finances, and time. Like when my father supported my education and helped me establish a family, I never considered the rewards or the need to repay. In some inexplicable way, I felt as though I were fulfilling a mission bestowed upon me by the heavens. My flesh, my life, my salary—all seemed to be dedicated to this mission. For it, I was willing to pay any price. Li Ao once said that after the coming year, he would rest his bones in the west of Kunlun, the artery and root of the mainland. Although it was already vast, desolate, and lifeless, I believed his words served as a warning to our era. In today's world where humanistic values have been lost, they deserve long-overdue reflection from every intellectual. Of course, Li Ao's value extends far beyond this! His character, uncorrupted by wealth, unyielding to power, unshaken by poverty, and undisturbed by trends, his belief in fighting for idealism, his spirit of raising awareness for human suffering, and his courage to face thousands of adversaries—these all hold profound significance for every Chinese person entering the 21st century.
Li Ao, from a green youth to a jaded youth, from a literary comet to the "public enemy," from a debate hero to a high-walled prisoner, from "roaring in the martial world" to running for "president," he lived alongside him, shared his hatred, roamed, galloped, roared, waged battles, and unleashed scathing words, maneuvering and contending. Riches could not corrupt him, poverty could not move him, power could not break him, and trends could not sway him. This lone star of cultural and intellectual thought, born, nurtured, bloomed, and ripened on the isolated island where Chiang Kai-shek sought refuge, amidst the remnants of the Nationalist Party's dominance, in an era of worldwide clamor and silent gods, spent his youthful years riding the wind and welcomed the fiery autumn of his life.