Wu Qingyuan and His Brothers: A Hundred-Year History of the Wu Family

Author: (Japanese) Kiyoi Katsuyama
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-11-01
Features: The history of a century for the family, the nation, and Go, is all condensed in the life stories of the three Wu brothers. This book is a true record of the hardships faced by the three Wu brothers in life. One for the family, one for the nation, one for talent. On February 20, 1924, in the grand courtyard of Da Jiangfang Hutong in Beijing's Xicheng District, an frail old man used the last strength of his life to leave a final word for the three brothers standing by his bedside: "Leave calligraphy to Wu Huan," "Leave novels to Wu Yan," "Leave Go to Wu Chuan (also known as Wu Qingyuan)." Decades later, the three Wu brothers, who received different legacies from their father, chose different life paths with their distinct personalities and interests: The eldest brother, Wu Huan, became an official in Manchukuo, later moved to Taiwan after Japan's defeat in the war, and then settled in the United States as an overseas Chinese; The second brother, Wu Yan, joined the Communist Party of China, devoted himself to revolution and the War of Resistance, and later became a university professor; The younger brother, Wu Chuan, crossed the East China Sea to Japan as a top Go player before World War II and was revered by the Go community as the uncrowned king. Yet, this genius Go player, who always aspired to be a messenger of friendship between China and Japan, actually lived in a foreign land under the cross of the Sino-Japanese War. Brushing away the dust of time, the ups and downs of the three Wu brothers' lives reveal a history that is not just about the Wu family.