Li Qingzhao

Author: Xue Gang
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-05-01
Features: Reading an excellent biography can have a lifelong impact on you. Li Qingzhao (1084-1155) was a cheerful and affectionate young girl, a talented literary figure, a virtuous wife who cherished simplicity, and an elderly woman who wandered in turmoil. Throughout her life, she took on different roles, from the timeless line "Green fat, red thin" to the passionate phrases "To be a hero" and "To be a ghostly hero," and the profound emotions expressed in "Forgetting unless drunk" and the heavy sorrow in "Desolate and sorrowful." She became one of the most renowned female lyricists of her time. Reading a good biography can influence a person's entire life. The "World Great Figures Series" edited and published by China Youth and Children's Publishing House is a large-scale biography series specially prepared for young readers. The "great figures" introduced in this series are all individuals in world history who have had a significant impact and made major contributions in politics, military, economy, science, thought, literature, and art. They have played a tremendous role in shaping the course of world history. It can be said that the life of a "great figure" is history, and it is knowledge. Through this series, readers can broaden their horizons, enrich their knowledge, enhance their confidence, and move away from immaturity toward maturity. The "World Great Figures Series" has already published over 50 titles, with more to be released in the future. Compared to other biographical works, it has the following unique features.
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Li Qingzhao, the subject of this biography, was one of China's most outstanding female literary figures. Influenced by her father, she began writing poetry and lyrics at a young age, gaining fame for her lyrical compositions. After her marriage to Zhao Mingcheng, she shared his literary aspirations and assisted him in compiling the "Jinshi Lu" (Compendium of Antiquities). During the turbulent era of the Song Dynasty, marked by corrupt officials and foreign invasions, she endured the devastation of family disintegration, national collapse, husband's death, and the loss of treasured possessions, leading a life of hardship and sorrow. She bravely resisted fate and used her poetry and prose to reflect the social reality and the sentiments of the people, expressing her patriotic and nostalgic feelings. She achieved remarkable accomplishments and was widely recognized as a master of lyrical poetry.