# Gu Hua

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Chinese author (born 1942)

Gu Hua Native name 古华 Born Luo Hongyu (罗鸿玉) (1942-06-20) June 20, 1942 (age 84) Jiahe County, Hunan, China Occupation Novelist Language Chinese Alma mater Chenzhou Institute of Agricultural Technology Period 1962 - present Genre Novel Subject Country and Farmer Notable works Furong Town Notable awards Mao Dun Literary Prize 1982 Furong Town

**Luo Hongyu** (羅鴻玉, born June 20, 1942[1]), better known by his [pen name](/source/Pen_name) **Gu Hua** ([simplified Chinese](/source/Simplified_Chinese_characters): 古华; [traditional Chinese](/source/Traditional_Chinese_characters): 古華; [pinyin](/source/Pinyin): *Gǔ Huá*), is a Chinese author. His writings concern rural life in the mountainous area of southern Hunan of which he was very familiar.[2] In 1988 he emigrated to Canada.[2]

## Life

He was born in a small village of only forty or fifty families. Rural traditions had been very well-preserved there and inspired him during his formative years. Later, when he attended school, he was exposed to classical works (such as *[The Five Younger Gallants](/source/The_Five_Younger_Gallants)*) and developed an interest in literature. However, his father died when he was still quite young and, in 1958, he was forced to suspend his education for a year to help his family.

In 1959, he was accepted at the Agricultural Technology School in [Zhangzhou](/source/Zhangzhou) Prefecture. Two years later, toward the end of the [Great Chinese Famine](/source/Great_Chinese_Famine), he was transferred to the Qiaokou Agricultural Institute in [Yinzhou](/source/Yinzhou_District%2C_Ningbo) and worked on a small rural farm for fourteen years, through most of the [Cultural Revolution](/source/Cultural_Revolution). His first published works appeared in 1962.

He published prolifically from 1971 to 1976 and, in 1975, became a creative consultant for the [Ganzhou](/source/Ganzhou) song and dance troupe. Much of his writing was influenced by the concept of the "[Three Prominent Points](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Three_Prominent_Points&action=edit&redlink=1) [[zh](https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E4%B8%89%E7%AA%81%E5%87%BA)]" (三突出). In 1980, he became a member of the [China Writers Association](/source/China_Writers_Association) (CWA).

In 1988, he emigrated to [Canada](/source/Canada), where he still maintains his residence. Despite this, he has served as President and Vice-Chairman of the Hunan branch of the CWA.

## Works

Gu is best known for his 1981 novel *Furong zhen* (*[A Small Town Called Hibiscus](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=A_Small_Town_Called_Hibiscus&action=edit&redlink=1)*) which won the inaugural [Mao Dun Literature Prize](/source/Mao_Dun_Literature_Prize) (1982), one of the most prestigious literature prizes in China.[3][4] It was the third top-selling novel to ever win that prize, selling over 850,000 copies.[3] The novel was a rebuke of the [Cultural Revolution](/source/Cultural_Revolution). It was adapted to film in 1986 as *[Hibiscus Town](/source/Hibiscus_Town)*, winning many awards including 'Best Film' of the 1987 [Golden Rooster Awards](/source/Golden_Rooster_Awards).

In 1986, *The New York Times* reported that he has "risen to prominence in the last three years among some younger writers who seek to rediscover, if not necessarily to affirm, China's traditional life and values.[5] In China he has been called the [Shen Congwen](/source/Shen_Congwen) of the 1980s[6] and even the [Thomas Hardy](/source/Thomas_Hardy) of Hunan," although Perry Link (professor of Chinese at the University of California) disagreed that Gu is comparable to those talents.[5]

His novel, *Virgin Widows* (*Chen Neu*) deals with outmoded views of chastity and adultery.[7] He published a new anthology of his poetry in 2015 and a novel, *Beijing Relics*, in 2016.

## List of Works

- 1981 *Furong zhen*, trans. by G. Yang as *[A Small Town Called Hibiscus](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=A_Small_Town_Called_Hibiscus&action=edit&redlink=1)*, 1983

- 1982 *Paman Qingteng Oe Muwu*, 1982, trans. as *Pagoda Ridge and Other Stories*, 1986

- 1986 *Xin ge jing*, 1986

- 1984 *Gu Hua Zhongpian Xiaoshuoji*, trans. as *Collected Novellas of Gu Hua*

- 1984 *Jiejie Zhai*, trans. as *Sisters' Village*

- 1985 *Gu Hua Xiaoshuo Xuan*, trans. as *Selected Novels of Gu Hua*

- 1985 *Chen Neu*, trans. by H. Goldblatt as *Virgin Widows*, 1997

- Other books published in Chinese

- Screenplays of own novels

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-wd2010_1-0)** "Gu Hua" *The Writers Directory 2010*. Ed. Lisa Kumar. 25th ed. Vol. 1. Detroit: St. James Press, 2009. 1082. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Retrieved 17 Oct. 2012.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-pong_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-pong_2-1) "Gu Hua 1942–." *Encyclopedia of Modern China*. Ed. David Pong. Vol. 2. Detroit: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2009. 150-151. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Retrieved 17 Oct. 2012.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-yang_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-yang_3-1) Guang, Yang (2011, Sep 21). "The best is yet to come, says writer Mo Yan." *McClatchy - Tribune Business News*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Zhu, Yuan. *China Daily* [New York, N.Y] 21 Nov 2000: 9. Retrieved October 17, 2012

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-link_5-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-link_5-1) Perry Link (July 6, 1986). ["Rebels, Victims and Apologists"](https://www.nytimes.com/1986/07/06/books/rebels-victims-and-apologists.html?pagewanted=2). *[New York Times](/source/New_York_Times)*. Retrieved October 17, 2012.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["Contemporary Chinese Literature in Translation--A Review Article"](https://www.jstor.org/stable/2056268), by Leo Ou-fan Lee, *The Journal of Asian Studies*, Vol. 44, No. 3 (May, 1985), pp. 561-567.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** Sorensen, Simon. "Virgin Windows." *[World Literature Today](/source/World_Literature_Today)* 72.1 (1998): 203. Literature Resource Center. Retrieved 17 Oct. 2012.

v t e Mao Dun Literature Prize 1st (1982) Zhou Keqin – Xu Mao and His Daughters Wei Wei – Orient Mo Yingfeng – General's Chant Yao Xueyin – Li Zicheng Gu Hua – A Small Town Called Hibiscus Li Guowen – Spring in Winter 2nd (1985) Li Zhun – The Yellow River Flows to the East Zhang Jie – Leaden Wings Liu Xinwu – The Wedding Party 3rd (1991) Lu Yao – Ordinary World Ling Li – Young Emperor Sun Li and Yu Xiaohui – Metropolis Liu Baiyu – The Second Sun Huo Da – The Jade King Xiao Ke – Bloody Heaven (Honorary award) Xu Xingye – Broken Golden Bowl (Honorary award) 4th (1997) Wang Huo – War and People Chen Zhongshi – White Deer Field Liu Sifen – White Gate Willow Liu Yumin – Unsettled Autumn 5th (2000) Zhang Ping – The Choice Alai – Red Poppies Wang Anyi – The Song of Everlasting Sorrow Wang Xufeng – Trilogy of the Tea Masters 6th (2005) Xiong Zhaozheng – Zhang Juzheng Zhang Jie – Wordless Chu Chunqiu – Sky of History Liu Jianwei – Heroic Time Zong Pu – Eastern Concealment 7th (2008) Jia Pingwa – The Shaanxi Opera Chi Zijian – The Last Quarter of the Moon Mai Jia – In the Dark Zhou Daxin – The Sons of Red Lake 8th (2011) Zhang Wei – On the Plateau Liu Xinglong – The Sky Dwellers Mo Yan – Frog Bi Feiyu – Massage Liu Zhenyun – Someone to Talk To 9th (2015) Ge Fei – Jiangnan Trilogy Wang Meng – The Scenery Around Here Li Peifu – Book of Life Jin Yucheng – Blossoms Su Tong – Shadow of the Hunter 10th (2019) Liang Xiaosheng - The Human World Xu Huaizhong - That Which Can't Be Washed Away Xu Zechen - Northward Chen Yan - The Protagonist Li Er - Brother Ying Wu 11th (2023) Yang Zhijun [zh] - The Snow Mountain and the Homeland Qiao Ye [zh] - Baoshui Village Liu Liangcheng [zh] - Bomba Sun Ganlu [zh] - A Panorama of Rivers and Mountains Dong Xi - Ripples in the Lake

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Gu Hua](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gu_Hua) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gu_Hua?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.