Contemporary Essays - An Anthology of He Wei's Prose

Author: Xu Baorong
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2004-09-01
Features: He uses his brush with ease, allowing him to unleash his strengths in moments of inspiration and leave behind profound writing. His works possess a unique style characterized by "thoughtful composition and distinctive writing" (Junzi, "Praise for a Thousand or Two Thousand Words of Prose"). The renowned prose theorist Lin Fei believes that He Wei's prose is "narrative concise and clear, emotions fresh and enduring," "shining with the fire of thought," and his recent prose is "vigorous and profound, lofty and boundless, revealing a new realm of artistic achievement." He Wei is not a prolific writer, but a fruitful one. He has a wide readership, and his works are frequently republished. Many of his masterpieces have been selected for various literary anthologies and textbooks, while some of his pieces have even been adapted into films, radio dramas, and radio novels. Countless readers have gained rich artistic enjoyment from his prose, and many young people have benefited from the literary nourishment it provides. He Wei's prose has been translated into English, French, Japanese, and Esperanto, and his works are equally well-received by foreign readers, especially Japanese readers. Through his relentless pursuit of art, He Wei has earned the admiration of readers and established his place in the history of contemporary Chinese prose.
He Wei, originally named He Zhenye, was born on April 19, 1922, in Dinghai County, Zhejiang Province. "He Wei" is the pen name he began using in 1938. He has also used other pen names such as Xiao Mang, Xiahou Chong, Xianai Te, Lin Yan, Lin Shu, Chengli, Wang Yi, Canshang, and Mohé. He Wei was born into a feudal old family, and his childhood and youth coincided with a period of social turmoil and national catastrophe in China. The instability of society led to the frequent relocation of his family. At the age of four, he moved with his family from Zhejiang to Shanghai. Shortly after, he accompanied his father to Sichuan, spending some time in Yichang. He Wei suffered from poor health from a young age and had to take a six-month leave from school at the age of thirteen. While lying in bed, he read Chinese classical works such as Water Margin, Journey to the West, and Romance of the Three Kingdoms, as well as a large amount of new literature since the May Fourth Movement. In the early winter of that year, due to a change in his father's job, he moved with his family to Wuhan. In Wuhan, He Wei only attended school for more than half a year before graduating from primary school. During this short time, he was fortunate enough to meet a literary mentor, Li Zhiyuan. Under Li's influence, he transitioned from passively enjoying literature to actively engaging in literary creation. To express his gratitude to his "literary mentor," He Wei's first published work, "Lu," was dedicated to Li Zhiyuan.