Li Zhun (; 4 July 1928 – 2 February 2000) was a Chinese novelist who was the vice president of

China Writers Association The China Writers Association (CWA) is a subordinate people's organization of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles (CFLAC). Founded in July 1949, the organization was initially named the China National Literature Workers Association. ...

and the librarian of Chinese Modern Literature Museum.

Biography

Li was born into an ethnic Mongolian family of teachers in

Luoyang Luoyang ( zh, s=洛阳, t=洛陽, p=Luòyáng) is a city located in the confluence area of the Luo River and the Yellow River in the west of Henan province, China. Governed as a prefecture-level city, it borders the provincial capital of Zheng ...

Henan Henan; alternatively Honan is a province in Central China. Henan is home to many heritage sites, including Yinxu, the ruins of the final capital of the Shang dynasty () and the Shaolin Temple. Four of the historical capitals of China, Lu ...

in 1928. His grandfather, Li Zulian (), his uncles, Li Mingzhao () and Li Mingshan (), all were teachers. His father, Li Mingxuan (), was a businessman. His mother came from a family of doctors. In 1934, Li studied at Matun school (), by age 6. Then he attended Dade High School (), a high school in Changdai Town, Luoyang County (). In 1942, Li fled from famine to

Xi'an Xi'an is the list of capitals in China, capital of the Chinese province of Shaanxi. A sub-provincial city on the Guanzhong plain, the city is the third-most populous city in Western China after Chongqing and Chengdu, as well as the most populou ...

Shaanxi Shaanxi is a Provinces of China, province in north Northwestern China. It borders the province-level divisions of Inner Mongolia to the north; Shanxi and Henan to the east; Hubei, Chongqing, and Sichuan to the south; and Gansu and Ningxia to t ...

. At the age of 15, Li was an apprentice in a store. Li worked as a postman in Matun Post Office () by age 17. Two years later, Li studied

Chinese opera Traditional Chinese opera (), or ''Xiqu'', is a form of musical theatre in China with roots going back to the early periods in China. It is an amalgamation of various art forms that existed in ancient China, and evolved gradually over more tha ...

in Matun Theatre Troupe (). In 1948, Li worked in Zhongzhou Bank (), then he was transferred to Luoyang to teach Chinese. Li started to publish works in 1953. Li was transferred from Luoyang to

Zhengzhou Zhengzhou is the capital of Henan, China. Located in northern Henan, it is one of the nine National central city, national central cities in China, and serves as the political, economic, technological, and educational center of the province. Th ...

in 1954. In 1955, Li served as a delegate to the

National People's Congress The National People's Congress (NPC) is the highest organ of state power of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The NPC is the only branch of government in China, and per the principle of unified power, all state organs from the Sta ...

. Li joined the

Chinese Communist Party The Communist Party of China (CPC), also translated into English as Chinese Communist Party (CCP), is the founding and One-party state, sole ruling party of the People's Republic of China (PRC). Founded in 1921, the CCP emerged victorious in the ...

at the age of 32, at the same time, he was appointed the director of

. In 1964, Li served as a delegate to the

and a Standing Committee member of the

All-China Youth Federation The All-China Youth Federation (ACYF) is a people's organization that represents many youth groups in China, and is managed by the Communist Youth League of China. It was founded on 4 May 1949. Former paramount leaders and General Secretaries ...

. In 1966,

Mao Zedong Mao Zedong pronounced ; traditionally Romanization of Chinese, romanised as Mao Tse-tung. (26December 18939September 1976) was a Chinese politician, revolutionary, and political theorist who founded the People's Republic of China (PRC) in ...

launched the

Cultural Revolution The Cultural Revolution, formally known as the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, was a Social movement, sociopolitical movement in the China, People's Republic of China (PRC). It was launched by Mao Zedong in 1966 and lasted until his de ...

, he was labeled a " Rightist", he suffered political persecution and experienced mistreatment, then he was sent to

Zhoukou Zhoukou ( zh, s=周口 , p=Zhōukǒu, w=Chou-k’ou; Postal romanization, postal: Chowkow) is a prefecture-level city in eastern Henan province of China, province, China. It borders Zhumadian to the southwest, Xuchang and Luohe to the west, Ka ...

to work. Li was rehabilitated by

Deng Xiaoping Deng Xiaoping also Romanization of Chinese, romanised as Teng Hsiao-p'ing; born Xiansheng (). (22 August 190419 February 1997) was a Chinese statesman, revolutionary, and political theorist who served as the paramount leader of the People's R ...

in 1980. In 1981, Li moved to

Beijing Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...

. He was appointed the librarian of Chinese Modern Literature Museum in 1990 and the vice president of

in 1996. In 2000, Li died in Beijing.

Works

Novel

* ''The Yellow River Flows to the East'' ()

Screenplay

* '' Li Shuangshuang'' () * ''Wang Jieshi'' () * ''The Biography of the Old Soldier'' () * ''The Great River Flows On'' () * '' The Herdsman'' () * ''The Qingliang Temple'' () * ''The Old Man and the Dog'' ()

Awards

* ''Li Shuangshuang'' – 2nd Hundred Flowers Awards (1963) * ''Wang Jieshi'' – National Excellent Short Story Award and 5th Golden Rooster Award for Best Writing (1981) * ''The Yellow River Flows to the East'' – 2nd Mao Dun Literature Prize

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Li, Zhun 1928 births 2000 deaths Writers from Luoyang 20th-century Chinese novelists Chinese people of Mongolian descent Mao Dun Literature Prize laureates Chinese male novelists 20th-century Chinese male writers Chinese male short story writers 20th-century Chinese short story writers Short story writers from Henan