Li Yaotang (Chinese: �尧棠, Zi: �c??, Feigan) (November 25, 1904 - October 17, 2005) is considered to be one of the most important and widely read Chinese writers of the twentieth century. He wrote under the pen name of Ba Jin (巴e??, also Pa Chin), taking his pseudonym from Russian anarchists Bakunin and Kropotkin. Ba Jin started composing his first works in the late 1920s.

Born in Chengdu, Sichuan, Li was born into a scholar-official family where his paternal grandfather ruled with an iron hand. In 1920 he enrolled in the Chengdu Foreign Language Specialist School. Three years later, Li moved to Shanghai and then to Nanjing on the pretext of study to escape the feudalistic influence of his family. In 1927 he travelled to France for studies, where he first used the pen-name Ba Jin. While there he began writing his first novel, Miewang (-Destruction�). On his return to Shanghai in 1928, Li continued writing and working on translations. During the next 10 years, Li acted as editor to several important publishing firms and periodicals, as well as composing the works which he is best known for - The Family (1931), The Love Trilogy Fog (1931), Rain (1933) and Lightning (1935), the novellas Autumn in Spring and A Dream of the Sea, the short story collection Mengya (-Germination�) and prose writings in Fuchou ("Vengeance") and Shen, Gui, Ren ("Gods, Ghosts and Men").

During the Second Sino-Japanese War (World War II), Li was actively involved in propaganda work against the Japanese invasion, working on the publication Nahan (-Outcries�, later renamed Fenghuo, -Beacons�) with Mao Dun. In the later stages of the war, Li completed the famous Torrents Trilogy - of which Family (1931) was the first written, followed by Spring (1938) and Autumn (1940). Other works of the post-war period, like the short novels A Garden of Repose (1944), Ward No 4 (1946) and Cold Nights (1947), contain some of his strongest writings.

During the Cultural Revolution, Li was heavily persecuted as a counter-revolutionary. He was rehabilitated in 1977, after which he was elected to many important national literary posts, including chairman of the Chinese Writers' Association (since 1983). The most significant work of his later years is probably the discursive writings in Suixiang Lu (translated as "Random Thoughts", composed between 1978 and 1986), in which, among other things, he reflected on the Cultural Revolution in a painfully honest manner and asked specifically for a Cultural Revolution Museum to be set up as a deterrent for future generations.

He spoke and advocated Esperanto and in the 1980s was the vice-president of the Chinese Esperanto League.

Ba Jin-s works were heavily influenced by foreign writers, including Emile Zola, Ivan Turgenev, Alexandr Herzen and Anton Chekhov, and a substantial amount of his collected works are devoted to translations. Ba Jin suffered from Parkinson's Disease since 1983, an ailment which almost completely debilitated him and confined him to a hospital unable to speak and walk toward the last few years of his life. Ba Jin died of cancer in Shanghai at the age of 100 (101 by Chinese reckoning). His death marked the end of an era for Chinese literature, especially since he was the last major writer to live through the May Fourth Movement.

Asteroid 8315 Bajin is named in his honour.

Bibliography (Translated into English)

• (1954) Living Amongst Heroes. Beijing: Foreign Language Press.

• (1958) The Family. [trans. Sidney Shapiro] Beijing: Foreign Language Press.

• (1959) A battle for life: a full record of how the life of steel worker, Chiu Tsai-kang, was saved in the Shanghai Kwangrze Hospital. Beijing: Foreign Language Press.

• (1978) Cold Nights [trans. Nathan K. Mao and Liu Ts'un-yan] Hong Kong: Chinese University press.

• (1984) Random Thoughts [trans. Germie Barm&ecute;] Hong Kong: Joint Publishing Company. (Partial translation of Suizianglu)

• (1988) Selected works of Ba Jin [trans. Sidney Shapiro and Jock Hoe] Beijing: Foreign Language Press. (Includes The Family, Autumn in Spring, Garden of Repose, Bitter Cold Nights)

Ba Jin Stories in Collections

• Arzybasheff, M.(1927). "Morning Shadows?" in Tales of the Revolution. Tr. Percy Pinkerton. New York Huebsch.

• (1927)."Workingman Shevyrev." in Tales of the Revolution, tr. Percy Pinkerton. New York: Huebsch.

About Ba Jin

• Ayers, W. (1950). "Shanghai Labor and the May Thirtieth Movement," Papers on China, 5:1-38. Harvard University, East Asian Research Center.

• Bao-Puo. (1925). "The Anarchist Movement in China: From a Letter of a Chinese Comrade." Tr. from the Russian, in Freedom. 39.423:4.

• (1953). "The Society for Literary Studies, 1921-1930." Papers on China. 7:34-79. Harvard University, East Asian Research Center.

• Chen Tan-chen. (1963). "Pa Chin the Novelist: An Interview." Chinese Literature. 6:84-92.

• Ch'en Chia-ai character. "Chung-kuo li-shih shang chih an-na-ch'i-chu -i che character (Anarchists in Chinese history); in K'o-lu-p'ao-t'e-chin hsueh-shuo kai-yao. pp. 379-410.

• Hsin ch'ing-nien (1908). "Chinese Anarchist in Tokyo," Freedom, 22.23:52.

• Lang, Olga, (1967). Pa Chin and His Writings: Chinese Youth Between the Two Revolutions. Harvard University Press.

• Martin, H. and J. Kinkley, eds. (1992) Modern Chinese writers: self-portrayals. Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe.

• Renditions Autumn 1992. No. 38. "Special issue on Twentieth Century Memoirs. Reminiscences by well-known literary figures, including Zhu Ziqing, Ba Jin, Lao She and Wang Xiyan."

Films

• Return from Silence: Five prominent and controversial Chinese writers speak on their roles in the modernization of China. (1 hour video cassette available) - The life and work of five esteemed Chinese writers whose modern classics shaped China's past: Ba Jin, Mao Dun, Ding Ling, Cao Yu, and Ai Qing. Produced by Chung-wen Shih, George Washington University. 1982.

Works

Short Story Collections:

• Vengeance e?复ä»?e?ï¼?1931

• Brightness e?å??æ??e?ï¼?1932

• The Electric Chair e?c?µæ¤?e?, 1933

• Wiping Cloth e?æ?¹å¸?e?ï¼?1933

• The General e?å°?å??e?ï¼?1934

• Gods, Ghosts and Men e?c¥?·e¬¼Â·äººe?ï¼?1935

• Sinking e?æ²?落e?ï¼?1936

• The Story of Hair e?å?c??æ??äº?e?ï¼?1936

• Thunder e?e?·e?ï¼?1937

• Resurrection Grass e?è¿?e­?è?e?ï¼?1942

• Little People, Little Events e?小人小äº?e?ï¼?1943

• Heroic Tales e?è?±e??c??æ??äº?e?ï¼?1953

• Pigs and Chickens e?c?ªä¸?e¸¡e?ï¼?1959

• Li Da-hai e?æ?大海e?ï¼?1961

• Stories Outside the City，1992

Children's literature:

• The Immortality Pagoda e?e?¿c??å¡?e?ï¼?1937

• The Pearl and the Jade Concubine e?æ??c å??c??姬e?ï¼?1957

Novels and Novellas:

• Destruction e?c­äº¡e?, 1929

• The Dead Sun e?æ­»å?»c??太e?³e?, 1931

• The "Love" Trilogy e?c?±æ??c??ä¸?e?¨æ?²e? (1931-5)

• • Fog e?e?¾e?, 1931

• • Rain e?e?¨e?ï¼?1933

• • Lightning e?c?µe?ï¼?1935

• Miners e?c ?丁e?ï¼?1933

• Germination e?è?è?½e?ï¼?1933

• A Dream of the Sea e?æµ·c??梦e?ï¼?1932

• Autumn in Spring e?æ?¥å¤©e??c??c§?天e?ï¼?1932

• The "Torrents" Trilogy e?æ¿?流ä¸?e?¨æ?²e?

• • The Family e?家e?ï¼?1933

• • Spring e?æ?¥e?ï¼?1938

• • Autumn e?c§?e?ï¼?194O

• Lina e?å?©å¨?e?ï¼?1940

• Fires e?c«e?(in three volumes)ï¼?1940-1945

• Stars e?æ??e?(English-Chinese bilingual)ï¼?1941

• A Garden of Repose e?æ?©å?­e?ï¼?1944

• Ward No 4 e?c¬¬å??c??室e?ï¼?novella, 1946

• Cold Nights e?å¯?å¤?e?ï¼?1947

Autobiography and Memoirs:

• Ba Jin: An Autobiography e?å·´e??è?ªä¼ e?ï¼?1934

• I Remember e?å¿?e?ï¼?1936

• Thinking Back on Childhood e?c«¥å¹´c??å??å¿?e?ï¼?1984

Non-fiction:

• (coauthor)Anarchism and its Practical Problems e?æ? æ?¿åº?主ä¹?ä¸?å®?e??e?®e¢?e?ï¼?1927

• From Capitalism to Anarchism e?ä»?èµ?æ?¬ä¸»ä¹?å?°å®?e?£å?¶ä¸»ä¹?e?ï¼?1930

• A Walk by the Sea e?æµ·è¡?e?ï¼?1932

• New Life e?æ?°c??e?ï¼?1933

• Travel Notes e?æ??e??e?c¬?e?ï¼?1934

• Droplets of Life e?c?¹æ»´e?ï¼?1935

• Confessions of Living e?c??ä¹?忏æ??e?ï¼?1936

• Brief Notes e?c?­c®?e?ï¼?1937

• I Accused e?æ?§è¯?e?ï¼?1937

• Dreaming and Drunkenness e?梦ä¸?e??e?ï¼?1938

• Thoughts and Feelings e?æ??æ?³e?ï¼?1939

• Black Earth e?e»?å??e?ï¼?1939

• Untitled e?æ? e¢?e?ï¼?1941

• Dragons, Tigers and Dogs e?e¾?·è??·c??e?ï¼?1941

• Outside the Derelict Garden e?åº?å?­å¤?e?ï¼?1942

• Travel Notes e?æ??e??æ?è®°e?ï¼?1946

• Remembering e?æ??念e?ï¼?1947

• Tragedy of a Still Night e?e?å¤?c??æ?²å?§e?ï¼?1948

• The Nazi Massacre Factory: Auschwitz e?cº³c²¹æ?人工å??-奥æ?¯å¨è¾?e?ï¼?1951

• Warsaw Festivals: Notes in Poland e?å?æ²?å??c??è??æ?¥-æ³¢å?°æ?è®°e?ï¼?1951

• The Consoling Letter and Others e?æ?°e?®ä¿¡å?å?¶ä»?e?ï¼?1951

• Living Amongst Heroes e?c??活书å±?å?¨è?±e??们中e?´e?ï¼?1953

• They Who Defend Peace e?保卫å??å¹³c??人们e?ï¼?1954

• On Chekhov e?è°?å¥?河夫e?ï¼?1955

• Days of Great Joy e?大欢乐c??æ?¥å­e?ï¼?1957

• Strong Warriors e?å?强c??æ??士e?ï¼?1957

• A Battle for Life e?-å?ºæ?½æ??c??å?½c??æ??æ??e?ï¼?1958

• New Voices: A Collection e?æ?°å£°e??e?ï¼?1959

• Friendship: A Collection e?å?è°?e??e?ï¼?1959

• Eulogies: A Collection e?èµ?æ­?e??e?ï¼?1960

• Feelings I Can't Express e?å?¾åä¸å°½c??æ??æ??e?ï¼?1963

• Lovely by the Bridge e?è´¤è?¯æ¡¥c??e?ï¼?1964

• Travels to Dazhai e?大寨è¡?e?ï¼?1965

• Ba Jin: New Writingsï¼?1978-1980

• Smorching Smoke e?c??c«e??e?ï¼?1979

• Random Thoughts e?e?æ?³å½?e?ï¼?1978-86

• Thinking Back on Writing e?å??ä½?å??å¿?å½?e?1981

• Exploration and Memories e?æ?¢c´¢ä¸?å??å¿?e?ï¼?1982

• Afterwords: A Collection e?序è·?e??e?ï¼?1982

• Remembrance: A Collection e?å¿?念e??e?ï¼?1982

• Ba Jin: On Writing e?å·´e??论å??ä½?e?ï¼?1983

• Literature: Recollections (with Lao She) e?æ??å­¦å??å¿?å½?e?1983

• To Earth to Dust e?æ?¿å??æ³¥å??e?ï¼?1984

• I Accused: A Collection e?æ?§è¯?e??e?ï¼?1985

• In My Heart e?å¿?e??话e?ï¼?1986

• Ten Years, One Dream e?十年ä¸?梦e?ï¼?1986

• More Thoughts e?å?æ?å½?e?ï¼?1995

Letters:

• To Our Young Friends Looking for Aspirations e?寻æ?¾c?æ?³c??å°?å¹´æ??å?e?ï¼?1987

• Snow and Dirt e?e?ªæ³¥e??e?ï¼?1987

• Collected Letters of Ba Jin e?å·´e??书信e??e?ï¼? 1991

Others:

• A Battle For Life

• Partial excerpt of English translation of Ba Jin's dedication to Emma Goldman