Tian Han
Encyclopedia
Tian Han born in Changsha, Hunan
Hunan
' is a province of South-Central China, located to the south of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and south of Lake Dongting...

, was a Chinese
Chinese people
The term Chinese people may refer to any of the following:*People with Han Chinese ethnicity ....

 drama activist, playwright, a leader of revolutionary music and films, as well as a translator and poet. Tian contributed a great deal to the development of Chinese modern drama as well as Chinese opera
Chinese opera
Chinese opera is a popular form of drama and musical theatre in China with roots going back as far as the third century CE...

. His most famous legacy may be the lyrics he wrote for March of the Volunteers
March of the Volunteers
March of the Volunteers is the national anthem of the People's Republic of China , written by the noted poet and playwright Tian Han with music composed by Nie Er. This composition is a musical march...

in 1934, the national anthem
National anthem
A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history, traditions and struggles of its people, recognized either by a nation's government as the official national song, or by convention through use by the people.- History :Anthems rose to prominence...

 of the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...

.

Biography

During the May Fourth Movement
May Fourth Movement
The May Fourth Movement was an anti-imperialist, cultural, and political movement growing out of student demonstrations in Beijing on May 4, 1919, protesting the Chinese government's weak response to the Treaty of Versailles, especially the Shandong Problem...

 in 1919, Tian became famous for the vigorous anti-imperialist and anti-feudalist activities in the circle of artists and intellectuals he gathered.

Returning from Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

 in 1921, Tian established the Creative Society together with Guo Moruo
Guo Moruo
Guo Moruo , courtesy name Dingtang , was a Chinese author, poet, historian, archaeologist, and government official from Sichuan, China.-Family history:Guo, originally named Guo Kaizhen, was born on November 10 or 16, in the small town of Shawan...

. The Southern China Society, also headed by Tian, played a leading role in promoting dramatic performances in southern China. In 1927, Tian taught at the Department of Literature of Shanghai Art University. Later, he joined The League of Chinese Left-Wing Dramatists.

Amongst his aliases, he called himself Tian Shouchang (田寿昌), and had various other pen name
Pen name
A pen name, nom de plume, or literary double, is a pseudonym adopted by an author. A pen name may be used to make the author's name more distinctive, to disguise his or her gender, to distance an author from some or all of his or her works, to protect the author from retribution for his or her...

s, including Uncle Great Wild Goose , Chen Yu
Chen Yu
Chen Yu may refer to:*Chen Yu , Chinese general in Qin Dynasty*Chen Yu of Dai, king of Dai of the Eighteen Kingdoms*Chen Yu , Chinese badminton player...

, Shuren (漱人), and the Han
Han Chinese
Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...

 Immortal .

He was attacked in 1966 on the eve of the Cultural Revolution for his play historical play, Xie Yaohuan, an attack on Chairman Mao's policies. He was denounced in an article entitled Xie Yaohuan is a poisonous weed.

Tian died in prison during the Cultural Revolution
Cultural Revolution
The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, commonly known as the Cultural Revolution , was a socio-political movement that took place in the People's Republic of China from 1966 through 1976...

 in 1968.

He was rehabilitated posthumously in 1979.

Major plays

  • Ka Fei Dian Yi Ye (A Night in the Coffee Shop) 1922
  • Wu Fan Zhi Qian (Before Lunch) 1922
  • Wo Hu Zhi Ye (A Night of Capturing the Tiger) 1924
  • Suzhou Ye Hua (The Night Talk of Suzhou Life's Will) 1928
  • Hu Shang de Bei Ju (A Tragedy of the Lake) 1928
  • Ming You Zhi Si (Death of a Noted Actor) 1929
  • Nan Gui 1929
  • Mei Yu (Plum Rains) 1932
  • Yue Guang Qu (Moonlight Melody) 1932
  • Luan Zhong 1932
  • Yang Zi Jiang de Bao Feng Yu (The Storm of Yangzi River) 1935
  • Hui Chun Zhi Qu (Spring Melody) 1935
  • Hong Shui (Flood) 1935
  • Lu Gou Qiao (Lu Gou Bridge) 1937
  • Han Jiang Yu Ge (The Song of Han River) 1939
  • Qiu Sheng Fu 1942
  • Guan Hanqing 1958
  • Li Ren Xing 1959

In popular culture

He is portrayed by Donnie Yen
Donnie Yen
Donnie Yen is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist, film director and producer, action choreographer, and world wushu tournament medalist...

 in the 2009 film The Founding of a Republic
The Founding of a Republic
The Founding of a Republic is a 2009 Chinese historical film commissioned by China's film regulator and made by the state-owned China Film Group to mark the 60th anniversary of the People's Republic of China...

.

External references

The Chinese Cultural Revolution: a history By Paul Clark

http://www.marxists.org/archive/chen/chenongpcr.htm

http://thechinabeat.blogspot.com/2008/07/from-lovers-to-volunteers-tian-han-and.html
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