THE MAN WHO
SHAPED MODERN
CHINESE CULTURE

 

And who still have huge influence over it

-

 

lu xun's signature

 

LU XUN

scroll background lu xun in his youth

Early Life

 

Lu Xun, born Zhou Shuren on September 25, 1881, in Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province, China, was a prominent Chinese writer, essayist, and critic. His early life was marked by several key events that would greatly influence his later works and political views.
Lu Xun was born into a family of relatively modest means. His father, Zhou Boyi, was a scholar-official who had failed the imperial examinations and worked as a minor official. His mother, Zhu Rui, came from a scholarly family. Lu Xun was the third of four brothers.
Lu Xun received a traditional Confucian education during his childhood, which was typical for a boy of his social background. However, his education was disrupted by family financial difficulties and his father's early death when Lu Xun was only 14 years old.
Lu Xun's father's death and his family's subsequent struggles had a profound impact on him. These experiences instilled in him a sense of disillusionment with traditional Confucian values and the social injustices he witnessed, themes that would recur in his later writings.

execution during the russo-japanese war

Study Abroad

 

In 1902, Lu Xun traveled to Japan to study medicine, following in the footsteps of his older brother. However, he soon became disillusioned with the field and abandoned his medical studies. Instead, he immersed himself in the study of literature, philosophy, and Western ideas, which would shape his intellectual outlook and literary style.
While Lu Xun was attending medical school, the Russo-Japanese War (1904–1905) broke out. Part of the war was fought on disputed Chinese land. While the war was being fought it became common for lecturers to show slides of pictures from the war to their students after their classes had ended. After one of his biology classes Lu was shown a scene in which a Japanese soldier was about to behead a Chinese man who had allegedly spied for the Russians, surrounded by Chinese who were apathetic to the scene. In his preface to Nahan, the first collection of his short stories, Lu explained how viewing this scene influenced him to quit studying Western medicine, and to become a literary physician to what he perceived to be China's spiritual problems instead.
During his time in Japan, Lu Xun was also exposed to a wide range of progressive and revolutionary ideas, including Marxism, anarchism, and Darwinism. This exposure contributed to his growing sense of social consciousness and his critique of traditional Chinese society.

scroll background 2 picture of a diary of a madman in lu xun museum in Beijing

Early Career

 

Lu Xun's literary career began in 1918 when he published his first short story, "Diary of a Madman" (Kuangren riji), which is considered a groundbreaking work in modern Chinese literature. The story, written in vernacular Chinese, critiques traditional Confucian values and addresses themes of alienation and mental illness.
Following the success of "Diary of a Madman," Lu Xun continued to produce a series of influential works, including short stories, essays, and translations. His writings often focused on social criticism, political satire, and the plight of the common people in China.
Lu Xun was deeply engaged in the cultural and political debates of his time. He was a vocal critic of the traditional Confucian order, as well as the social and political problems plaguing China, such as corruption, imperialism, and inequality. He used his writings as a platform to advocate for social change and reform.

family photo of the Lu's and the Feng's

Later Life

 

Throughout his later life, Lu Xun continued to write prolifically, producing a wide range of works, including short stories, essays, prose poetry, and translations. His later writings often delved deeper into themes such as the struggle for social justice, the impact of modernity on Chinese society, and the search for identity in a rapidly changing world.
Throughout his later life, Lu Xun continued to write prolifically, producing a wide range of works, including short stories, essays, prose poetry, and translations. His later writings often delved deeper into themes such as the struggle for social justice, the impact of modernity on Chinese society, and the search for identity in a rapidly changing world.
In his later years, Lu Xun suffered from deteriorating health, including bouts of tuberculosis. Despite his illness, he continued to write and participate in intellectual and cultural activities. He passed away on October 19, 1936, at the age of 55, leaving behind a rich legacy of literary works and a profound influence on Chinese literature and intellectual thought.