Mao Dun (July 4, 1896–March 27, 1981), whose real name was Chen Dehong (Chinese: 沈德鴻), was one of the greatest Chinese writers of the 20th century. His courtesy name was Yanbing (雁冰).
Growing up in a single family did not affect his interests in learning. He spent his childhood in Wuzhen, Tongxiang. In the early 1930s, he set up the Left-Wing Writers League in conjunction with Lu Xun, another great contemperary Chinese writer.
Education
Mao Dun was born in Zhejiang province of China in 1896. His father died when he was ten, so he was raised and taught by his literate mother. Mao Dun was admitted to the University of Beijing at the age of 17 and stayed there for three years, but he could not afford to further his study.
Political life
In 1921, Mao Dun joined the Communist Party of China. He was one of the earliest members of the party. He published his first novel, Huan mie (幻滅), in 1927. He adopted 'Mao Dun' (矛盾), which means 'contradiction', to be his pen name, with the thought of expressing his sigh for the contradictory revolutionary ideology in China in that era. Later his friend Ye Shengtao changed the first word to '茅' to prevent political persecution.
At the same time, Mao Dun participated in Chiang Kai-shek's Northern Expedition (1926-1928), the main purpose of which was to unite the country. He quit, however, when Chiang's Kuomintang broke with the Communists.
As a journalist
After finishing his study, he got his first job in the Commercial Press (Shanghai). By the age of 21 he was recognised by many as the assistant editor of 'Xuesheng Zazhi' (Students' Magazine). In 1920, Mao Dun and his friends took over the magazine 'Xiaoshuo Yuebao' ("Fiction Monthly") from the Commercial Press, and started to invite young writers in Beijing to summit their creative writings, translated Western literature pieces, as well as their views on new literature theories and techniques to the magazine. Xiaoshuo Yuebao had made great contributions to promote the New Cultural Movement; at the same time, Mao Dun became the leading figure of the movement in the southern part of China.
As a literary man
The experience of political conflict broadened his horizon in literature, and therefore the theme of his later writing was mostly based on this. He then helped to found the League of Left-Wing Writers in 1930. His most famous and important novel, Ziye (Midnight), was published in 1933. When the People's Republic of China was established by the Communist Party of China in 1949, Mao Dun became the Minister of Culture. Mao Dun was dismissed and cruelly treated in the Cultural Revolution. After the Cultural Revolution, he became an editor of a children's magazine, and died in 1981.
See also: Literature of China