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Hu Feng

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Hu Feng
Hu Feng and his wife Mei Zhi, December 1933
Hu Feng and his wife Mei Zhi, December 1933
Native name
Hồ phong
BornZhang Guangren (Chinese:Trương quang nhân)
(1902-11-02)November 2, 1902
Qichun,Hubei,Qing Empire
DiedJune 8, 1985(1985-06-08)(aged 82)
Beijing,PRC
OccupationLiterary Theorist, Writer, Poet
SpouseMei Zhi
Chinese name
Traditional ChineseHồ phong
Simplified ChineseHồ phong
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinHú Fēng
Personal name
Traditional ChineseTrương quang nhân
Simplified ChineseTrương quang nhân
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinZhāng Guāngrén

Hu Feng(Chinese:Hồ phong;pinyin:Hú Fēng,November 2, 1902 – June 8, 1985) was a ChineseMarxistwriter,poetandliterary theorist.He was a prominent member of theLeague of Left-Wing Writers.After thefounding of the People's Republic of China,Hu Feng became a member of theFirst National People's CongressofChina,but was then heavily persecuted as the chief of the Hu Feng Counter-revolutionary Clique (Chinese:Hồ phong phản cách mệnh tập đoàn). The persecution became a massivepolitical purge.He was firstrehabilitatedin 1980 and fully rehabilitated, posthumously, in 1988.

Life

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Early life

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Hu Feng was born inQichun,Hubeion November 2, 1902, as a son of atoufuartisan. He started school in his village in 1913 and entered middle school inWuchang,capital of Hubei, in 1920. He transferred to the High School Affiliated to the National Southeastern University (Chinese:Quốc lập đông nam đại học phụ chúc trung học,nowHigh School Affiliated to Nanjing Normal University), which was also the school of writerBa Jin.He joinedSocialist Youth League of Chinathere.[1]

Education

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In 1925, Hu Feng participated in theMay Thirtieth Movement,and enteredPeking Universitylater in the year. In 1926, he transferred to studywestern literatureatTsinghua University.[1]Soon he quit school and returned to his hometown. He later served in theKuomintang.In 1929, he enteredKeio UniversityinJapanto study English. Then, in 1933, he was evicted from Japan for organizing anti-Japanese groups among fellow Chinese students.[2]

Literary activism

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Hu Feng returned toShanghaiin 1933 and became both the head of publicity and the executive secretary of theLeague of Left-Wing Writers.He became closely acquainted withLu Xun.In 1934, he marriedMei Zhi.In 1935, he secretly edited the journalMu Xie Wen Cong(Chinese:Mộc tiết văn tùng,literally "The Sawdust Journal" ), which was published with the help ofKanzō Uchiyama.In 1936, he co-founded and co-edited the journalThe Petrel(Chinese:Hải yến) with others, which published the works ofLu Xunand other authors includingNie Gannu,Xiao Jun,andWu Xiru(Chinese:Ngô hề như).[3]

After theSecond Sino-Japanese Warbroke outin 1937, Hu Feng became the chief-editor of the magazineJuly(Chinese:Thất nguyệt). According to Ruth Y.Y. Hung, "Hu and his associate writers, theJulypoets, made paradigmatic distinctions between new and old, free verse and national forms, and, by extension, poetry-driven revolution... and poetry for the Revolution. "[4]Due to the war, Hu Feng moved the publication ofJulyto Wuhan in October 1937, and toChongqingin September 1938. Hu Feng stayed for a year inGuilinfrom March 1942 to March 1943, and returned to Chongqing after then.[3]In 1945, Hu Feng became the chief-editor of the magazineHope(Chinese:Hi vọng).[2]

After the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, Hu Feng became a member of theChina Federation of Literary and Art Circles,a member of theChina Writers Association,and a member of the First National People's Congress of China. During this time, he wrote the poemTime Has Begun(Chinese:Thời gian khai thủy liễu), which is a lengthy historical epic celebrating the founding of the PRC.[4]

Political persecution

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Left: Hu Feng in 1954; Right: Hu Feng'sarrest warrant,issued by theChina's Ministry of Public Securityin 1955

Hu Feng'sliterary theoryoften conflicted with those of orthodoxChinese Communistsin ideology such asZhou Yangand ofMao Zedong,especially on the issue of "National Form" (Chinese:Dân tộc hình thức). Ruth Y.Y. Hung observed that, "For Hu, any type of formulism in general, and traditional and popular national forms specifically, derived from aConfucius'ruling-class' ethic and had no prerogative claim on New Poetry. "[4]In the 1940s and 1950s, Hu Feng's theory was criticized frequently.[5]

In 1951, some wrote toWen Yi Bao,requesting that it critique Hu Feng's literary theory again. In early 1952,Wen Yi Baopublicized these letters.[6]

In July 1954, Hu Feng delivered a 300,000-word report, titled "Report on the Real Situation in Literature and Art Since Liberation", to thePolitburo of the Chinese Communist Party.In January 1955, thePublicity Department of the Chinese Communist Partysubmitted a report to theCentral Committee of the Chinese Communist Party(CCCPC) requesting that it criticize Hu Feng.[2]

In early May 1955, Shu Wu (Chinese:Thư vu) submitted his correspondence with Hu Feng and other materials, accusing Hu of forming anti-revolutionary cliques. Mao wrote a foreword to Shu Wu's letters and materials and instructedPeople's Dailyto publish them under the title "Certain Materials Regarding the Hu Feng Counter-revolutionary Clique" (Chinese:Quan vu hồ phong phản đảng tập đoàn đích nhất ta tài liêu).[7]On May 17, Hu Feng was then arrested. He was detained atQincheng Prisonspecified for political criminals, and in 1965 he was sentenced to 14 years in prison.[8]Chinese authority claims that about 2,100 people were persecuted, 92 were arrested, and 72 were detained concerning Hu. Among them, 78 were confirmed as a member or accomplice of the "Hu Feng Counter-revolutionary Clique", and 23 were regarded as key members.[9]

During the followingCultural Revolution,Hu Feng and his wife were sent toLushan,Sichuanforlabor re-education.Hu Feng was again arrested in November 1967.[10]In January 1970, Hu Feng was accused of desecrating the portrait of Mao and wassentenced for life.[11]

Rehabilitation and death

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In 1979, Hu Feng was released from prison.[2]In September 1980, he was partly rehabilitated when the CCCPC overturned its decision on the "Hu Feng Counter-revolutionary Clique", yet CCCPC did not overturn previous accusations towards Hu Feng.[12]He was then made a standing member of theChinese People's Political Consultative Conferenceand restored as a member of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles and a member of the China Writers Association.[2]

Hu Feng died of cancer in Beijing on June 8, 1985.[2]China's Ministry of Public Security cancelled some of his accusations in April 1986, and CCCPC cancelled all accusations in June 1988.[12]

Works and translations

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Besides his occupation as an editor, Hu Feng was also a translator and literary theorist. In 1935, Hu Feng translatedYang Kui's storyThe News Deliverer(Tân văn phối đạt phu,Shinbun Haitatsufu)fromJapaneseintoChinese(Chinese:Tống báo phu). He also translated some stories written in Japanese by authors fromTaiwanandKorea,which are altogether published in the collectionShan Ling( "The Mountain Spirit",Chinese:Sơn linh) in April 1936.[3]

Hu Feng published several theoretical works in the 1940s. In 1941, he publishedLun Minzu Xingshi Wenti( "On National Forms",Chinese:Luận dân tộc hình thức vấn đề). In 1943, he publishedMinzu Zhanzheng Yu Wenyi Xingge( "The National War and the Disposition of Literature and Art",Chinese:Dân tộc chiến tranh dữ văn nghệ tính cách). In 1948, he publishedLun Xianshizhuyi De Lu( "On the Road of Realism",Chinese:Luận hiện thật chủ nghĩa đích lộ).[13]

See also

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References

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  1. ^abHồ phong (1993).Hồ phong hồi ức lục.Bắc kinh: Nhân dân văn học xuất bản xã.ISBN7-02-001705-3.
  2. ^abcdef"Hồ phong sinh bình"(in Simplified Chinese). Phượng hoàng văn hóa. 15 July 2009.Retrieved22 November2021.
  3. ^abc"Hồ phong đích biên tập xuất bản sinh nhai"(in Simplified Chinese). Hubei People's Political Consultative Conference. 15 September 2014.Retrieved22 November2021.
  4. ^abcHung, Ruth Y.Y. (2017)."Time Has Begun: Hu Feng's Poesis in Socialist China, 1937-50".Canadian Review of Comparative Literature.44(3): 579–593.doi:10.1353/crc.2017.0047.S2CID158939764.Retrieved22 November2021.
  5. ^ Hồng tử thành (2003).Trung quốc đương đại văn học sử(in Simplified Chinese). Bắc kinh đại học xuất bản xã. p. 41.ISBN7-301-04039-3.
  6. ^Tằng phàm giải (March 2014).Tác vi tả dực văn hóa chiến sĩ đích hồ phong.Quảng đông: Thế giới đồ thư xuất bản.ISBN978-7-5100-3988-1.
  7. ^Mao Zedong.《 kiến quốc dĩ lai mao trạch đông văn cảo 》(in Simplified Chinese). pp. Vol.5, pp. 112–15.
  8. ^Tán mộc (2008)."Hồ phong đích ngũ phong cáo biệt tín"(in Simplified Chinese). 《 văn sử tinh hoa 》. Archived fromthe originalon 23 May 2009.Retrieved31 March2009.{{cite journal}}:Cite journal requires|journal=(help)
  9. ^""Hồ phong phản cách mệnh tập đoàn" oan án đại kỷ thật liên tái "(in Simplified Chinese). People's Daily Online.Retrieved23 November2021.
  10. ^Tôn chấn (13 December 2006).""Hồ phong án kiện" đích tiền tiền hậu hậu "(in Simplified Chinese). 《 nhân dân công an 》2000 niên đệ 02 kỳ. Archived fromthe originalon 13 January 2019.Retrieved13 January2019.
  11. ^"1955 niên hồ phong sự kiện thủy mạt".Archived fromthe originalon 11 November 2012.Retrieved28 March2008.
  12. ^abChu chính chương (February 2005)."Hồ phong đích tam thứ bình phản"(in Simplified Chinese).Đảng sử tín tức báo.Archived fromthe originalon 22 May 2009.
  13. ^Hu Feng.Encyclopædia Britannica. 28 October 2021.Retrieved23 November2021.
  • Denton, Kirk A.The Problematic of Self in Modern Chinese Literature: Hu Feng and Lu Ling(Stanford University Press, 1998).
  • Hung, Y.Y. Ruth,Hu Feng: A Marxist Intellectual in a Communist State, 1930–1955(SUNY Press, 2020).
  • Shu, Yunzhong,Buglers on the Home Front: The Wartime Practice of the Qiyue School(SUNY Press, 2000).
  • Zhi, Mei,F: Hu Feng's Prison Years(Verso, 2013).