26 Facts About Lao She

Shu Qingchun, known by his pen name Lao She, was a Chinese writer of Manchu ethnicity, known for his vivid portrayal of urban life and his colorful use of the Beijing dialect, such as in the novel Rickshaw Boy and the play Teahouse.

Lao She was born Shu Qingchun on 3 February 1899 in Beijing, to a poor Manchu family of the Sumuru clan belonging to the Plain Red Banner.

Lao She's father, who was a guard soldier, died in a street battle with the Eight-Nation Alliance Forces in the course of the Boxer Rebellion events in 1901.

Between 1918 and 1924, Lao She was involved as administrator and faculty member at a number of primary and secondary schools in Beijing and Tianjin.

Lao She went on to serve as lecturer in the Chinese section of the School of Oriental Studies at the University of London from 1924 to 1929, living in Notting Hill for most of that period.

The purpose of this organization was to unite cultural workers against the Japanese, and Lao She was a respected novelist who had remained neutral during the ideological discussions between various literary groups in the preceding years.

In March 1946, Lao She travelled to the United States on a two-year cultural grant sponsored by the State Department, lecturing and overseeing the translation of several of his novels, including The Yellow Storm and his last novel, The Drum Singers.

Lao She stayed in the US from 1946 until December 1949.

Once, Lao She went to Hu's house to play, and Hu Mu asked him to play hide and seek.

Under Luo's arrangement, Lao She was dragged by friends everywhere to eat, and there was always Hu Jieqing at the dinner table.

Half a month after the marriage, Lao She brought his wife to Jinan and continued to teach at the university, while Hu Jieqing taught in a middle school.

Lao She's relatives were accused of implication in his "crimes", but rescued his manuscripts after his death, hiding them in coal piles and a chimney and moving them from house to house.

Lao She wrote Crescent Moon, written in the early stage of his creative life.

In 1938, Lao She rewrote Classics for Girls to change its pre-modern characterisation of women's moral duties with messages urging women's contributions to the War of Resistance against Japan.

Lao She described Mr Ma and his son's life in London Chinatown, showing the poor situation of Chinese people in London.

Lao She used funny words to show cruel social truths.

From "Mr Ma and Son", Lao She pointed the stereotype included appearances and spirits and he hoped to get rid of these dirty impressions.

Lao She wrote it from the perspective of a visitor to the planet Mars.

Lao She wrote Cat Country in direct response to Japan's invasion of China.

Lao She was an early user of Baihua, and other writers and artists adopted Baihua.

Lao She's writing was known for its humor and irony, being simple but deep.

Lao She wrote humorous, satiric novels and short stories and, after the onset of the Sino-Japanese War, patriotic and propagandistic plays and novels.

Some of Lao She's plays have been staged in the recent past, including Beneath the Red Banner in 2000 in Shanghai, and Dragon's Beard Ditch in 2009 in Beijing as part of the celebration of the writer's 110th birthday.

Lao She lived there until his death 16 years later.

Lao She's work revealed the language, the joys, and the pains of the common people of China.

Lao She believed his country and its Christianity needed to be sinicized and not dependent upon the foreigner for funds and direction.