Cheng Youshu

Chinese diplomat and poet (1924–2021)
Chen Luzhi
​
(m. 1948)​
Children4RelativesFather: Cheng Shewo
sister: Cheng Zhifan
brother: Cheng Siwei
half-sister: Lucie Cheng
half-sister: Cheng Chia-lin

Cheng Youshu (Chinese: 成幼殊; pinyin: Chéng Yòushū; 1924 – 5 May 2021[1]) was a Chinese diplomat and poet. Cheng was fluent in English and Danish.[2]

Biography

Cheng was born in Beijing in 1924, with her ancestral hometown in Xiangxiang, Hunan.[2] Her father Cheng Shewo was a newspaperman. She is the second of five children.[2] Her sister, Cheng Zhifan (Chinese: 成之凡) (born in 1928), is French Chinese.[2] Her brother Cheng Siwei is a Chinese politician.[2][3][4][5]

Cheng Youshu began writing poems at the age of 13. After high school, Cheng was accepted into Saint John's University, Shanghai, where she joined the Wenhui Fellowship—a Christian Fellowship.[2][3][4]

In 1945, Cheng and her schoolmate founded the Yehuo Poetry Club (Chinese: 野火诗社).[2] In May 1945, Cheng joined the Chinese Communist Party, and served in the New Fourth Army in Shanghai.[2]

In 1948, Cheng went to Hong Kong to work as a reporter.[2] While in Hong Kong, Cheng met her future husband, Chen Luzhi.[2] Cheng married Chen (Chinese: 陈鲁直) in Hong Kong. They have four children.[2]

In October 1949, Cheng moved in Guangzhou, her father went to Taiwan with Kuomintang.[2]

After the founding of the Communist State, Cheng worked in the Chinese Foreign Ministry.[2] From 1955 to 1961, Cheng worked in India as a diplomat.[2] In 1984, Cheng went to Denmark with her husband when he served as China's Ambassador to Denmark.[2]

Cheng died in Beijing on 5 May 2021.[6]

Works

Poems

  • The Surviving Rice (Chinese: 幸存的一粟)[7]

Translation

  • Nb—Some Memories of Niels Henrik David Bohr (Chinese: NB—关于尼尔斯·波尔的一些回忆)

Awards

References

  1. ^ 成幼殊纪念馆 (in Chinese)
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Cui Shuwei (2012). 《成幼殊：诗歌伴随我一生》. 《老年人》 (in Chinese). 4: 24–26. ISSN 1007-2616.
  3. ^ a b 成幼殊：一生与诗相伴. Zhang Bing (in Chinese). People. 2007. Archived from the original on 2013-12-02. Retrieved 2013-11-27.
  4. ^ a b 成幼殊：一生与诗相伴(图) (in Chinese). Sohu. 2007.
  5. ^ 成幼殊：一生与诗相伴 (in Chinese). People. 2007. Archived from the original on 2013-12-02. Retrieved 2013-11-27.
  6. ^ "My beloved aunt the last time I was able to visit with her, and who passed away in Beijing this morning. Cheng Youshu 成幼殊 (1924-2021): Poet, wartime Shanghai Communist underground member, journalist, diplomat, UN envoy, Lu Xun Prize winner for poetry at age 81, opera lover". Eileen Chengyin Chow on Twitter. 5 May 2021. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
  7. ^ 沧桑岁月不老情——成幼殊的诗歌创作 (in Chinese). China Writers Association. 2007. Archived from the original on 2018-03-27. Retrieved 2013-11-27.