19 Facts About Lu Xun

1. Lu Xun was sometimes called a "champion of common humanity.

2. Lu Xun produced harsh criticism of social problems in China, particularly in his analysis of the "Chinese national character".

3. Lu Xun wrote using both traditional Chinese conventions and 19th century European literary forms.

4. Lu Xun recovered somewhat, and wrote two essays in the fall reflecting on mortality.

5. Lu Xun began to study and identify with Marxist political theory, made contact with local Communist Party members, and became involved in literary disputes with other leftist writers in the city.

6. Lu Xun made contacts within the Kuomintang and the Chinese Communist Party through his students.

7. Lu Xun published a collection of prose poetry, Wild Grass.

8. Lu Xun collected and self-published an authoritative book on the work of an ancient poet, Ji Kang, and wrote a A Brief History of Chinese Fiction, a work which, because traditional scholars had not valued fiction, had little precedent in China.

9. Lu Xun married her, but they never had a romantic relationship.

10. Lu Xun began to read Nietzsche, and wrote a number of essays in the period that were influenced by his philosophy.

11. In March 1906, Lu Xun abruptly and secretly terminated his pursuit of the degree and left college.

12. Lu Xun generally found his studies at the school tedious and difficult, partially due to his imperfect Japanese.

13. Lu Xun experienced anti-Chinese racism, but was simultaneously disgusted with the behaviour of some Chinese who were living in Japan.

14. Lu Xun had an ambiguous attitude towards Chinese revolutionary politics during the period, and it is not clear whether he joined any of the revolutionary parties that were popular among Chinese expatriates in Japan at that time.

15. Lu Xun transferred to another government-funded school, the "School of Mines and Railways", and graduated from that school in 1902.

16. Lu Xun intended to study at a prestigious school, the "Seeking Affirmation Academy", in Hangzhou, but was forced by his family's poverty to study at a tuition-free military school, the "Jiangnan Naval Academy", in Nanjing, instead.

17. Lu Xun was highly acclaimed by the Chinese government after 1949, when the People's Republic of China was founded, and Mao Zedong himself was a lifelong admirer of Lu Xun's writing.

18. Lu Xun was born into a family of landlords and government officials in Shaoxing, Zhejiang; the family's financial resources declined over the course of his youth.

19. Lu Xun was the pen name of Zhou Shuren (25 September 1881—19 October 1936), a leading figure of modern Chinese literature.