Xiao Hong facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Xiao Hong
Portrait of Xiao Hong in 1933.
Born	(1911-06-02)2 June 1911 Hulan District, Heilongjiang
Died	22 January 1942(1942-01-22) (aged 30) St. Stephen's Girls' College, Japanese Hong Kong
Spouse(s)	Duanmu Hongliang (m.1938)
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Xiao Hong or Hsiao Hung (1 June 1911 – 22 January 1942) was a famous Chinese writer. Her baby name was Zhang Ronghua. Her school name was Zhang Xiuhuan. Her grandfather changed her name to Zhang Naiying (張廼瑩). She also used pen names like Qiao Yin and Lingling.

Xiao Hong's Early Life

Xiao Hong was born on June 1, 1911, in Hulan County. This was during the Dragon Boat Festival. Her family was wealthy, owning a lot of land.

Her childhood was not very happy. Her mother passed away when Xiao Hong was nine years old. In 1927, she went to a girls' school in Harbin. There, she learned about new ideas from the May Fourth movement. She also discovered many Chinese and foreign books.

Two people greatly shaped her early life. Her father was a difficult man, often cold and unkind. But her grandfather was the only one who truly understood her. Xiao Hong wrote that her father "often lost his humanity for the sake of greed." He treated everyone, including his children and her grandfather, with meanness.

After her father hit her, Xiao Hong would hide in her grandfather's room. He would comfort her and say, "Grow up! It's good to grow up." Her grandfather's love brought her comfort and warmth.

Xiao Hong's Relationships

Xiao Hong's childhood experiences affected her later relationships. She often felt either loved and protected, or left alone and hurt. This feeling was strongly linked to her difficult relationship with her father.

In 1929, her father tried to force her into an arranged marriage. He wanted her to marry Wang Enjia. Xiao Hong was afraid of this marriage. After her grandfather died, she had no reason to stay in Hulan. So, Xiao Hong ran away from home. She wrote, "I cannot go back to that kind of home. I'm not willing to be supported by a father who stands at the opposite pole from me."

In 1932, Wang Enjia left her alone in a hotel. Xiao Hong was struggling and needed help. She decided to write to a local newspaper. The editor was surprised by her story. He sent Xiao Jun (whose real name was Liu Honglin) to check if her story was true. This is how Xiao Hong first met Xiao Jun.

Xiao Jun was impressed by Xiao Hong's writing talent. He decided to help her. This gave Xiao Hong new hope. In August 1932, Xiao Hong and Xiao Jun began living together.

In 1938, Xiao Hong met Duanmu Hongliang. She fell in love with him, and her six-year relationship with Xiao Jun ended. Xiao Hong and Duanmu Hongliang got married in May 1938 in Wuhan.

Xiao Hong's Writings

Xiao Hong wrote many important stories and novels. Here are some of her well-known works:

• Qier (棄兒, Abandoned Child) (1933). This was Xiao Hong's first published story. She used the pen name Qiao Yin for it.
• Bashe (跋涉, Trudging) (1933). This was a collection of stories and essays. Xiao Hong and Xiao Jun published it together.
• The Field of Life and Death (Shengsi chang, 生死場) (1934). This was Xiao Hong's first novel. She wrote it in Qingdao. The famous writer Lu Xun praised its "keen observations and extraordinary writing style." This book made her popular. It was also the first time she used the pen name Xiao Hong.
• Yong jiu de chong jing yu zhui qiu （永久的憧憬與追求） (1936). This was a short sketch by Xiao Hong.
• Shang Shijie (商市街, Market Street) (1936). This book describes daily life. It is based on her first two years with Xiao Jun in Harbin.
• Huiyi Lu Xun Xiansheng (回憶魯迅先生, Memories of Mr. Lu Xun), (1940).
• Ma Bole (馬伯樂), (1940). This was a funny novel. It was set in the cities of Qingdao and Shanghai.
• Hulanhe zhuan (呼蘭河傳, Tales of Hulan River), (1942). This book mixes her personal life with the history of a region. It was a new way of writing in modern China.
• Hand (手). This story is important for showing the struggles of working people.

Xiao Hong and Lu Xun

In 1927, Xiao Hong started reading new literature. Lu Xun's works became her favorites. Xiao Hong's writing often focused on how people connect. She wrote about community, shared feelings, and experiences.

Before Xiao Hong and Xiao Jun went to Shanghai, they sent their writings to Lu Xun. He read their work before they arrived. Lu Xun welcomed them to a group of young leftist writers. He published novels by both Xiao Hong and Xiao Jun in his "Slave Series."

Xiao Hong's Final Years

Xiao Hong passed away on January 22, 1942. This was during the difficult time of wartime Hong Kong. She died in a temporary hospital at St. Stephen's Girls' College.

She was buried on January 25, 1942, in Hong Kong's Repulse Bay. Later, in August 1957, her grave was moved to Guangzhou.

Selected Works in English

• The Field of Life and Death & Tales of Hulan River, Indiana University Press, 1979. ISBN: 0-253-15821-4
• Anthology of Modern Chinese Stories and Novels, with Xiao Hong's short stories "Hands" and "Family Outsider", 1980
• The Field of Life and Death & Tales of Hulan River. Translator Howard Goldblatt. Boston: Cheng & Tsui Company. 2002. ISBN 978-0-88727-392-6. https://archive.org/details/fieldoflifedeath00xiao.
• The Dyer's Daughter: Selected Stories of Xiao Hong. Translator Howard Goldblatt. Hong Kong: Chinese University Press. June 2005. ISBN 978-962-996-014-8.
• Vague Expectations: Xiao Hong Miscellany , Hong Kong: Research Centre for Translation, 2020. ISBN: 978-962-7255-47-5

See also

In Spanish: Xiao Hong para niños