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Lao She

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description Lao She Overview

Lao She (1899–1966), born Shu Qingchun to a Manchu family in Beijing, was one of the most prominent Chinese novelists and playwrights of the twentieth century. His fiction depicted working-class Beijing life with dark humor and social criticism; his best-known works include Rickshaw Boy (Luotuo Xiangzi, 1937), the play Teahouse (Chaguan, 1957), and Four Generations Under One Roof (Sishi Tongtang). He spent several years teaching Chinese in London during the 1920s. He died in 1966 during the early months of the Cultural Revolution; his body was reportedly found in Taiping Lake in Beijing.

help Lao She FAQ

What is Lao She's most famous novel?

Lao She's most internationally recognized work is Rickshaw Boy (also translated as Camel Xiangzi), first serialized in the late 1930s. The novel chronicles the struggles of a rickshaw puller named Xiangzi trying to achieve independence in Republican-era Beijing, and is considered a cornerstone of modern Chinese literature.

How did Lao She die?

Lao She died in August 1966 during the early months of the Cultural Revolution, after being publicly denounced and physically abused by Red Guards. His body was found in Taiping Lake in Beijing; the circumstances are widely understood as suicide, though some details remain debated.

What is Lao She's play Teahouse about?

Teahouse (Chaguan), first performed in 1958, is set entirely in a Beijing teahouse and spans roughly fifty years across three acts, covering the late Qing dynasty, the warlord era, and the aftermath of World War II. It uses dozens of characters to depict the social transformations of Chinese society through the microcosm of the teahouse.

Was Lao She Manchu or Han Chinese?

Lao She was born Shu Qingchun into a Manchu family in Beijing in 1899, making him ethnically Manchu rather than Han. His Manchu background influenced his deep connection to Beijing culture and vernacular, which pervades his fiction and drama.