Guang Weiran

Guang Weiran (Chinese: 光未然; pinyin: Guāng Wèirán, 1 November 1913 – 28 January 2002), born Zhang Guangnian (Chinese: 张光年; pinyin: Zhāng Guāngnián), was a Chinese poet and military leader. He is best known for writing the poem that inspired the Yellow River Cantata.[1]

In this Chinese name, the family name is Zhang.
Guang Weiran
BornZhang Guangnian
(1913-11-01)1 November 1913
Laohekou, Hubei, China
Died28 January 2002(2002-01-28) (aged 88)
Beijing, China
OccupationPoet, military leader
NationalityChinese
GenreWar
Literary movementWorld War Two

Life

Guang Weiran was born in Laohekou, Hubei in 1913. He dropped out of high school to participate in the Great Revolution. In doing so, he joined the Communist Party of China in 1929. He then enrolled in Wuchang University of China. He was inspired to write the Yellow River Cantata as an "anti-Japanese propaganda" technique when Japan invaded China in 1939.[2] It was said that while leading his troops into battle, he fell off his horse and broke his left arm which gave him time to write the poem. It is also said that while travelling, he saw fishermen singing uplifting songs which also inspired him to write the poem.[3] In 1977, he became the chief editor of People's Literature. He died in 2002 at the age of 89.

Notes
  1. C, Dinesh (3 June 2012). "Cosmic Dinesh: Ode to the Yellow River (黄河颂)". Cosmic Dinesh. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
  2. 周月琴. "Guang Weiran: Poet of the Yellow River_GMW.cn". en.gmw.cn. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
  3. "The Yellow River Concerto – a product of its time". gbtimes.com. Retrieved 9 March 2017.


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