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Qu Bo (novelist)
Encyclopedia
Qu Bo 曲波 was a novelist in the People’s Republic of China. His name was also translated as Chu Po. Qu 曲, the family name, has meanings of curve, melody and tune. Bo 波 stands for ripples and waves. His first book Tracks in the Snowy Forest :zh:林海雪原 (pronunciation : lin hai xue yuan) made him one of the most popular authors at the time.
Province 山东省, Qu Bo’s early education was through a private school where he started to gain his sound knowledge of Chinese classical literature and succinct language skills. His father, Qu Chunyang 曲春阳 and mother, Qu Liushi 曲刘氏 owned a small business of cotton
dyeing, which failed when western textiles poured into China.
In 1938, at the age of 15, he left home and fought in the war against the Japanese invasion (Second Sino-Japanese War
). His name was changed from his childhood name Qu Qingtao 曲清涛 into Qu Bo by the officials of the Eighth Route Army
. Qu Bo had further education at the Anti-Japanese Military and Political University in Shandong and became a journalist of an army newspaper, The Progress. The army turned into the People's Liberation Army
after the Japanese surrendered, and Qu Bo continued to battle in the Chinese civil war
in the northeast of China, protecting the regional civilians from robbery and killings by the regional bandits and brigands. In the army, he served as a young literacy teacher, a political commissar and finally a colonel. In 1946 he married Liu Bo 刘波 who was a head nurse of a hospital at the same army regional headquarters.
During the communist regime after 1949, Qu Bo worked in the railway industry and the Ministry of Machinery until his retirement, and lived in Beijing
for the rest of his life.
Qu Bo was an active member of the Chinese Writers’ Association 中国作家协会, and was recognised as a Chinese contemporary writer in the history of Chinese Literature
. He had, however, never stopped his full time industrial management jobs and only wrote books and articles during his spare time. He visited Russia, Pakistan and England as an author as well as industrial director. His novels were made into films, Beijing Opera musicals and TV shows.
1,560,000 copies of 林海雪原 were printed during 1957-1964 in three editions. There was no further record of the number of copies in later several editions and prints. Qu Bo was seen as one of the many victims of copyright infringement or anarchy. The book was translated into English, Russian, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Mongolian, Norwegian and Arabic.
Roar of the Mountains and the Seas 山呼海啸 (1977), China Youth Press 中国青年出版社. An adventure story and romance set in Shandong Province during the Anti-Japanese War. The writing was completed before the great cultural revolution and the publication was delayed for more than 10 years.
Qiao Longbiao 桥隆飚 (1979), People’s Literature Press 人民文学出版社. A tale of a patriotic hero (Robin Hood like) who was later enlisted into the communist forces during the war against Japanese. The book was completed before the great cultural revolution, but again the publication was delayed for more than 10 years.
Stele of Rong E 戎萼碑(1977), Shandong People’s Publishing House 山东人民出版社. A story reflecting the importance of Chinese women in the war against Japanese.
Life
Born in Zaolinzhuang Village 枣林庄, Huangxian 黄县(now Longkou 龙口市]), at the north-east coast of ShandongShandong
' is a Province located on the eastern coast of the People's Republic of China. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history from the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River and served as a pivotal cultural and religious site for Taoism, Chinese...
Province 山东省, Qu Bo’s early education was through a private school where he started to gain his sound knowledge of Chinese classical literature and succinct language skills. His father, Qu Chunyang 曲春阳 and mother, Qu Liushi 曲刘氏 owned a small business of cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
dyeing, which failed when western textiles poured into China.
In 1938, at the age of 15, he left home and fought in the war against the Japanese invasion (Second Sino-Japanese War
Second Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War was a military conflict fought primarily between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. From 1937 to 1941, China fought Japan with some economic help from Germany , the Soviet Union and the United States...
). His name was changed from his childhood name Qu Qingtao 曲清涛 into Qu Bo by the officials of the Eighth Route Army
Eighth Route Army
The Eighth Route Army was the larger of the two major Chinese communist forces that formed a unit of the National Revolutionary Army of the Republic of China which fought the Japanese from 1937 to 1945. In contrast to most of the National Revolutionary Army, it was controlled by the Communist...
. Qu Bo had further education at the Anti-Japanese Military and Political University in Shandong and became a journalist of an army newspaper, The Progress. The army turned into the People's Liberation Army
People's Liberation Army
The People's Liberation Army is the unified military organization of all land, sea, strategic missile and air forces of the People's Republic of China. The PLA was established on August 1, 1927 — celebrated annually as "PLA Day" — as the military arm of the Communist Party of China...
after the Japanese surrendered, and Qu Bo continued to battle in the Chinese civil war
Chinese Civil War
The Chinese Civil War was a civil war fought between the Kuomintang , the governing party of the Republic of China, and the Communist Party of China , for the control of China which eventually led to China's division into two Chinas, Republic of China and People's Republic of...
in the northeast of China, protecting the regional civilians from robbery and killings by the regional bandits and brigands. In the army, he served as a young literacy teacher, a political commissar and finally a colonel. In 1946 he married Liu Bo 刘波 who was a head nurse of a hospital at the same army regional headquarters.
During the communist regime after 1949, Qu Bo worked in the railway industry and the Ministry of Machinery until his retirement, and lived in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
for the rest of his life.
Qu Bo was an active member of the Chinese Writers’ Association 中国作家协会, and was recognised as a Chinese contemporary writer in the history of Chinese Literature
Chinese literature
Chinese literature extends thousands of years, from the earliest recorded dynastic court archives to the mature fictional novels that arose during the Ming Dynasty to entertain the masses of literate Chinese...
. He had, however, never stopped his full time industrial management jobs and only wrote books and articles during his spare time. He visited Russia, Pakistan and England as an author as well as industrial director. His novels were made into films, Beijing Opera musicals and TV shows.
Novels
Tracks in the Snowy Forest 林海雪原 (1957), People’s Literature Publishing House 人民文学出版社. His major success, a thrilling tale of a small group of selected soldiers who went into the snowy mountains searching and fighting dangerous hidden bandits and brigands.1,560,000 copies of 林海雪原 were printed during 1957-1964 in three editions. There was no further record of the number of copies in later several editions and prints. Qu Bo was seen as one of the many victims of copyright infringement or anarchy. The book was translated into English, Russian, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Mongolian, Norwegian and Arabic.
Roar of the Mountains and the Seas 山呼海啸 (1977), China Youth Press 中国青年出版社. An adventure story and romance set in Shandong Province during the Anti-Japanese War. The writing was completed before the great cultural revolution and the publication was delayed for more than 10 years.
Qiao Longbiao 桥隆飚 (1979), People’s Literature Press 人民文学出版社. A tale of a patriotic hero (Robin Hood like) who was later enlisted into the communist forces during the war against Japanese. The book was completed before the great cultural revolution, but again the publication was delayed for more than 10 years.
Stele of Rong E 戎萼碑(1977), Shandong People’s Publishing House 山东人民出版社. A story reflecting the importance of Chinese women in the war against Japanese.
External links
- Qu Bo (2. Writer) in Chinese Beike Baidu
- Tracks in the Snowy Forest in Chinese Wikipedia
- Qu Bo (Writer) in Chinese Wikipedia
- Profile of Qu Bo in the dictionary of Members of the Chinese Writers’ Association
- Profile of Qu Bo in the Dictionary of Chinese Contemporary Writers by the Chinese Writers’ Association