20 Facts About Wu Zuguang

Wu Zuguang was a Chinese playwright, film director and social critic who has been called a "legendary figure in Chinese art and literary circles".

Wu Zuguang authored more than 40 plays and film scripts, including the patriotic drama City of Phoenix, one of the most influential plays during the Second Sino-Japanese War, and Return on a Snowy Night, which is generally considered his masterpiece.

Wu Zuguang directed The Soul of the Nation, Hong Kong's first colour film, based on his own historical drama Song of Righteousness.

Wu Zuguang was well known as an outspoken critic of China's cultural policies, both of the Kuomintang and the Communist governments, and was repeatedly persecuted as a result.

Wu Zuguang fled to Hong Kong in 1945 to avoid being captured by KMT agents, and returned to Beijing after the foundation of the People's Republic China in 1949.

Wu Zuguang was denounced as a "rightist" during the Anti-Rightist Campaign and performed hard labour in the "Great Northern Wilderness" for three years, and was again persecuted during the Cultural Revolution.

Wu Zuguang's grandfather Wu Zhiying was a muliao of the Qing dynasty reformer Zhang Zhidong and participated in the Xinhai Revolution.

Wu Zuguang's father Wu Ying was a founder and curator of the Beijing Palace Museum.

Wu Zuguang gave birth to Wu Zuguang, her first child, in the mansion of Wu Ying's uncle Zhuang Yunkuan, a minister of the Republic of China government.

Wu Zuguang later wrote several critically acclaimed plays, including Return on a Snowy Night, which is generally considered his masterpiece.

Wu Zuguang escaped to British Hong Kong to avoid being captured by KMT agents, and made a living writing screenplays and making films.

Wu Zuguang directed The Soul of the Nation, Hong Kong's first colour film, based on his historical drama, Song of Righteousness, about the Song dynasty patriot Wen Tianxiang.

Wu Zuguang made Return on a Snowy Night into a film, as well as two others.

Wu Zuguang wanted to return to writing plays, but was assigned by the government to direct Song of the Red Flag, a film about women textile workers.

Wu Zuguang wrote the Peking operas Three Beatings of Tao Sanchun and San Guan Yan.

Wu Zuguang was called an enemy of the CCP, even by his renowned colleague Tian Han.

Xin Fengxia and Wu Zuguang were both denounced at the beginning of the period.

Wu Zuguang became disabled below her left knee after a severe beating.

Wu Zuguang was devastated by the loss and his health quickly deteriorated.

Wu Zuguang suffered three strokes in the next few years, and died on 9 April 2003.