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Ai QingChinese poet.
Date of Birth: 27.03.1910
Country:  China |
Content:
Biography of Ai Qing
Ai Qing was a Chinese poet who made significant contributions to the development of free verse. He was born in 1910 in Zhejiang, China. In 1929, he went to France to study and stayed there until 1932. During his time in France, Ai Qing was heavily influenced by the works of E. Verhaeren, Walt Whitman, and Vladimir Mayakovsky.
Imprisonment and Exile
Upon his return to China in 1932, Ai Qing was arrested for speaking out against the Kuomintang government. He was imprisoned for three years until 1935. In 1936, he published his collection of poems titled "Dayanhe," which depicted the life of the Chinese countryside.
In 1958, Ai Qing was sent into exile in Manchuria for his criticism of the suppression of freedom of speech in the early years of the newly established People's Republic of China under Mao Zedong. For sixteen years, he worked in the cleaning of public toilets in rural areas.
Rehabilitation and Recognition
Ai Qing was not allowed to publish his works until his rehabilitation in 1978. Despite the years of censorship, his poetry gained recognition for its powerful imagery and social commentary. In 1985, he was awarded the literary prize by the President of France, François Mitterrand, in recognition of his contributions to literature.
Ai Weiwei
Ai Qing's son, Ai Weiwei, was born in 1957 and is a renowned contemporary Chinese artist, architect, curator, and critic. He is the founder and director of the "China Art Archive & Warehouse." Ai Weiwei has gained international acclaim for his provocative and politically charged artworks, which often challenge the Chinese government's policies and human rights issues.
