12 Days of a Soul Journey: 365 Wisdom Quotes by Li Ao

Author: Mai Nan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-01-01
Features: Li Ao was a man with an innocent heart, a learned scholar, and a skilled debater. He was a Taiwanese, a Beijinger, and a Chinese. Over fifty years ago, young Li Ao, in the midst of bitter winds and torrential rains, left the mainland on a small boat, leaving with a heavy heart. From then on, he had no chance to return to the mainland. Fifty years later, he became a "cultural rogue" known for his independent spirit, vast knowledge, mixed identity, countless banned books, endless lawsuits, numerous scandals, and his ability to dominate both the literary and political spheres. As the saying goes, "If heaven has feelings, it too would grow old." In the 1940s, many great Chinese culture figures who moved from the mainland to Taiwan, such as Yu Youren, Zhang Daqian, Lin Yutang, Hu Shih, and Qian Mu, ultimately died in exile due to political barriers, leaving behind a vast and unknown fate! Yu Youren's poem "Gazing at the Mainland" goes: "Bury me on a high mountain, oh, so I may gaze at my homeland; my homeland is unseen, yet I shall never forget it." Life comes and goes, time slips by. Li Ao left home as a child and returned as an old man. After more than fifty years of political turmoil, he could not sever the cultural vein of five thousand years. "In the vast sea of life, I can never forget that I am a native of the mainland," Li Ao said. Li Ao's words are sharp and witty, playful and cunning. He speaks of culture, history, politics, and scholarship, with a sharp and incisive style that leaves one dazzled and pondering deeply. This book is dedicated to all who have met Li Ao or have not, who know him or do not know him, who have read him or have not, who love him or do not love him.