Lu Xun (1881-1936) is the most famous modern Chinese writer. He originally studied medicine, but came to believe that "healing the mind matters more than healing the body", so he turned to writing to awaken the Chinese people.
His best-known works include "A Madman's Diary" (China's first modern vernacular story), "The True Story of Ah Q" and "Hometown". One line from "Hometown": "Hope cannot be said to exist, nor can it be said not to exist."
Lu Xun's words are sharp: "Fierce-browed, I coolly defy a thousand pointing fingers; head bowed, like a willing ox I serve the children." Facing enemies, never yield; serving the people, give everything. His works are still studied in schools today.
Lu Xun (1881-1936), originally Zhou Shuren, from Shaoxing, Zhejiang, is the founder of modern Chinese literature and honoured as the "Soul of the Nation". Writer, thinker and revolutionary, he awakened an era with a pen.
He originally studied medicine, hoping to save China through healing. But in Japan he saw Chinese onlookers watching an execution apathetically and was deeply shaken; he gave up medicine for writing - realising that no matter how healthy bodies are, a numb spirit means no hope for the nation.
His masterpieces include the short-story collections Call to Arms and Wandering and countless essays. A Madman Diary is the first modern vernacular Chinese story, ending with the electrifying cry "save the children"; The True Story of Ah Q portrays a self-deceiving peasant and satirises national weaknesses.
His writing cuts like a knife: "Facing a thousand pointing fingers, I defy them; bowing like a willing ox, I serve the children" - uncompromising to enemies, devoted to the people. And "there was never a road in the world; when many people walk, a road appears" - encouraging pioneers to move forward.
The "Ah Q spirit" he created became a term: when defeated, Ah Q claims "the son is beating the father" and consoles himself with spiritual victory. People still use "Ah Q" to criticise those who deceive themselves and refuse to face reality.
To know him: Shaoxing has his former residence, the Sanwei Study and the Hundred Plants Garden where he grew up; Beijing Lu Xun Museum and Shanghai Lu Xun Memorial preserve his manuscripts. His essays are in Chinese textbooks - a shared spiritual memory of the Chinese people.
For Chinese learners, Lu Xun is both a mountain to climb and a window into China. His language combines classical concision with vernacular sharpness - an excellent model for advanced expression. Start with the short story Hometown, then The True Story of Ah Q; you will find that century-old words still describe things around us today.
Modern readers most resonate with Lu Xun clarity: "wear a mask too long and it grows onto your face", "just because it has always been so, is it right?" These lines never date and often surface in young people social feeds. Lu Xun spoke for today youth with century-old words - which is why the "Soul of the Nation" endures.
A note for modern readers: Lu Xun wrote in a specific historical context; some expressions differ from today standard Mandarin. Beginners may find him hard - start with annotated editions or his short stories rather than the essays. Once your vocabulary grows, return to the essays and marvel at his sharpness and depth. Lu Xun rewards slow reading.
