Xie Wanying (1900–1999)
Xie Wanying (1900–1999)
Chinese essayist, poet, short-story writer and children's writer. Name variations: Hsieh Wan-ying; Hsieh Wang-ying; (pseudonym) Bing Xin (Ping Hsin). Born Oct 5, 1900, in Fuzhou, Fujian Province, China; died 1999; dau. of a naval officer; graduate of Yanjing University, 1923; m. Wu Wenzao (one of the founders of anthropology in China), 1929.
Encouraged by May Fourth Movement (1919), published 1st collection of short stories, Two Families; studied in US at Wellesley College (1921–26), receiving MA; taught Chinese literature at Yanjing (1926–36); contributed essays to newspapers and journals about her experience in US, which were collected and published as Letters to Young Readers, the beginning of a series that brought her fame; taught at Tokyo University (1947–51); active in Chinese Writers Association and All China Federation of Literary and Art Circles, traveled in Europe, Asia and Africa; served as deputy of Fujian province; despite being a tremendously popular writer, her reputation took a beating during the Cultural Revolution (1967–72), but she was soon held in high esteem once more; other writings include More Letters to Young Readers, A Maze of Stars and Spring Water, About Women, After the Return and We Have Woken up the Spring; translated poetry of Rabindranath Tagore and Kahlil Gibran.