Yu Guangzhong passes away at 90
Renowned Chinese poet Yu Guangzhong, or Yu Kwangchung, passed away at 90 in a hospital in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, the United Daily News reported on Thursday.
According to the report, Yu was recently sent to the hospital to treat a respiratory infection.
The poet was last seen in public in late October at a party celebrating his 90th birthday held at a local university in Kaohsiung where the poet worked as a professor.
Born in Nanjing, East China’s Jiangsu Province in 1928, Yu fled with his family at the age of 9 to Chongqing during the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression (1931-45). In 1947, he began studying at Jinling University in Nanjing, but later transferred to Xiamen University. In 1950, Yu and his family moved to Taiwan where he lived and worked until his death.
Xiangchou (Nostalgia), a fourstanza poem that delves into the poet’s deep feelings for his motherland, is one of Yu’s most well-known and affectionate verses.
Published in 1971, the poem remains highly popular among Chinese speakers worldwide. Even those who know little about literature are familiar with lines from the poem: “When I was a child/ Nostalgia seemed a small stamp/ ‘Here am I/ And there…my mother’…” (Translated by Professor Z.Y. Tang)
“I wrote a dozen of poems similar to Nostalgia… another one called Four Melodies of Nostalgia was adapted by [ famous Taiwan singer and songwriter] Tayu Lo into a song and became popular both in the mainland and Taiwan,” Yu said in a 2015 interview with people.cn.
Aside from his achievements in poetry, Yu was also a successful essay writer, critic and translator.
“The reason why I stick to writing till today comes down to my passion for the Chinese language,” Yu told people.cn, going on to explain that this passion was strengthened by his love for his mother and his motherland, Yu said.
Thursday’s news left many Chinese netizens shocked and heartbroken. Many paid tribute to the beloved poet by lighting up virtual “candles” for him on Chinese social media platforms.
“Mr Yu’s poems often move me to tears when I read them… I have a collection of poetry that he once signed and it remains one of my most valuable treasures… R.I.P. Mr Yu,” posted Yunan Province-based writer Mai Luoluo on Sina Weibo on Thursday.