The Life of Hu Lan Cheng: Soaring and Despair

Author: Yang Haicheng
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-01-01
Features: He is selfish, always pursuing his own desires without considering others. He is narrow-minded, often blaming others for their faults while excusing his own, only making excuses for himself without self-reflection. He lacks determination, always finding excuses to justify himself. He claims to be "philanthropic," but his "philanthropy" is driven by (utilitarianism), (hypocrisy), (lewdness), and (vile behavior). In the entire literary criticism community, no one praises his character; the words often used are "a true petty person," "shameless," "hateful," "vile," "unethical," "disgusting," "fit to be discarded," "sickening," "obsequious," and "boring" etc. Is he flamboyant? Setting aside his character and morality, and only discussing his "talent," there are both admirers and detractors of him. Those who admire him say he is on par with great figures like Lin Yutang, Liang Shiqiu, and Qian Zhongshu, calling his writings a "pearl," a "rare flower," "equal to Zhang Ailing and Zhou Zuoren in depth," "outstanding," "full of insightful views," "," "with a solid cultural foundation and rigorous academic system," "showcasing unique thinking, eloquence, and extensive knowledge." Those who criticize him say he is an "heretical and perverse figure," "his soul has long scattered," "lacks a coherent system or central theme," "full of playful talent but lacking fierce passion," "a mediocre writer," "with no principles in thought," "making baseless comments and distorting history." Is he desolate? Truly great writing must be accompanied by a better person than the writing itself. If the person is not as good as the writing, then the writing may seem good, but it lacks depth and has never truly reflected the essence of life. This is Hu Lancheng's original words, and also his standard for literary criticism. Judging Hu Lancheng's writings by this standard, we can only say they lack depth and have never truly reflected the essence of life. His writings may be elegant in language, but they lack grandeur, soul, and focus, just like a nose (snot) covered in flowers. How can someone who constantly claims to be the husband of Zhang Ailing be a true husband?
When "body" and "benevolence" can be combined, there is the saying "to die for benevolence." When "life" and "righteousness" cannot be combined, there is the saying "to sacrifice life for righteousness." When you can "achieve benevolence" without "dying," why not do it? When you can "achieve righteousness" without "sacrificing life," why not do it? But Hu Lancheng refused to do so. He consciously, deliberately, and stubbornly stood on the side of the Japanese, viewing Japan as his homeland and the invasion of China by Japanese troops as "greatness." Therefore, he was seen as an "unforgivable person."
Researchers or enthusiasts of modern Chinese history, modern Chinese cultural history, or Chinese literary history, moral philosophers or anti-moral philosophers, and adults over 18—Hu Lancheng was born in Sheng County, Zhejiang Province, China in 1906 and dropped out of Peking University in 1927. Later, he served as the chief editor of the "China Daily" under the () regime. After the war of resistance, he fled to Japan via Hong Kong. During his time in Japan, he began studying Japanese and met the great mathematician Kōji Tanaka and the Nobel Prize-winning physicist Hidetoshi Takagi, which helped him establish his academic system. In 1974, he moved to Taiwan and was appointed as a life professor at the Chinese Culture College in Taiwan. During his time in Taiwan, his literary talent influenced the entire Taiwanese literary scene, particularly the daughters of Zhu Xining and Zhu Tianwen, who were deeply influenced by him. He died in Tokyo on July 25, 1981. His Chinese works include "This Life, This World," "Mountains and Rivers Through Time," "Zen Is a Flower," "Chinese Ritual Music," "An Introduction to Chinese Literary History," "Revolutionary Poetry and Scholarship," and "What Day Is It Today?"