Renowned Taiwanese Poet Ya Hsien Passes Away at 92
Ya Hsien, a celebrated modernist poet from Taiwan, has died at the age of 92 in Vancouver. Born as Wang Ching-lin in 1932 in Nanyang, Henan, China, he joined the military during a tumultuous time and later moved to Taiwan with the Kuomintang forces.
Education and Career
In Taiwan, Ya Hsien pursued higher education, graduating from the Film and Drama Department of Fu Hsing Kang College. He served in the Navy and later earned a master’s degree in East Asian Studies from the University of Wisconsin.
Epoch Poetry Society
In 1954, Ya Hsien co-founded the Epoch Poetry Society with Luo Fu and Chang Mo in Kaohsiung. The society published the influential Epoch Poetry Quarterly, which promoted surrealism and educated young readers in literature.
Editorial Work and Legacy
Ya Hsien dedicated nearly 40 years to editorial work, encouraging submissions from Chinese-language writers worldwide and organizing literary awards. After retiring, he moved to Vancouver and was honored with the Taipei Culture Award in 2023 for his contributions to literature.
Doubts Revealed
Taiwanese -: Taiwanese refers to something or someone from Taiwan, which is an island nation near China. It has its own government and culture.
Ya Hsien -: Ya Hsien was a famous poet from Taiwan known for his modernist style of writing. His real name was Wang Ching-lin.
Vancouver -: Vancouver is a city in Canada, which is a country far away from India. It’s known for its beautiful nature and is a popular place for people to live.
Kuomintang -: Kuomintang is a political party that was originally in China. They moved to Taiwan after losing a war in China.
Fu Hsing Kang College -: Fu Hsing Kang College is a school in Taiwan where people study military and political subjects.
University of Wisconsin -: The University of Wisconsin is a big school in the United States where people go to learn many different subjects.
Epoch Poetry Society -: The Epoch Poetry Society was a group started by Ya Hsien and others to promote new and creative ways of writing poetry.
Surrealism -: Surrealism is a style of art and writing that tries to show things in a dream-like way, often mixing reality with imagination.
Taipei Culture Award -: The Taipei Culture Award is a prize given to people who have made important contributions to culture and the arts in Taipei, the capital city of Taiwan.