Wan shui qian shan shi you qing

by Jun Qi

234 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

Born in 1917, Qi Jun (琦君) witnessed China in a transitional state. Gone with the emperor was the traditional system which had existed for centuries, and the new system was yet to be established. Though the imperial examinations were abolished and most people started to send their children to westernized schools, Qi Jun's uncle - who took care of her upbringing - still opted to hire a tutor well versed in classical Chinese.

After the civil war Qi Jun went to Taiwan, leaving behind her beloved hometown which she would not be able to visit until decades later. While working in the court system of Taiwan, her writing career took off. She became famous for her essays, especially the ones related to her childhood. Her contemporaries praised her writings as "in everyone's heart but in no one else's pen." No doubt her eloquent style resulted from her deep roots in classical Chinese.

She passed away in Taipei at the age of 88.