Ziqing Zhu

Born in 1898, Zhu Ziqing was a Chinese poet, essayist, and teacher who studied at Peking University and became associated with the literary changes that followed the May Fourth Movement. He wrote in a clear, elegant style that made everyday life, memory, and emotion feel immediate on the page.

Alongside poetry, he became especially admired for essays that have remained widely read, including pieces such as Retreating Figure and Lotus Pond Moonlight. He also taught at leading institutions, including Tsinghua University and the National Southwestern Associated University, and was known as an influential literary scholar as well as a creative writer.

He died in 1948, but his essays and poems have continued to introduce generations of readers to modern Chinese literature. His reputation rests on the combination of simplicity, feeling, and careful observation that gives his writing its lasting appeal.