Lu Xun is one of the greatest Chinese writers of the 20th century. He not only wrote stories, but also wrote articles about living conditions of Chinese people.
Lu Xun was born in 1881. In 1898, his grandfather was put into prison for taking money. His father became seriously ill. From that time on, his family were no longer accepted by their relatives and friends. These early experiences greatly influenced his writing. In 1902, he went to study in Japan. He showed a talent for writing and translating. He even wrote several books. He returned to China in 1909 because he was in need of money. After working for several years as a teacher in Beijing. Lu Xun again returned to writing. In 1918, he wrote his famous short story Diary of a Madman. It was the first Chinese novel published using the everyday language that people spoke, which helped make it a great success. This, together with his novel The True Story Of Ah Q(1921), made Lu Xun a leading Chinese writer. Lu Xun still worried greatly about China's future. In 1926, he moved to Shanghai and gave up writing stories. He then only wrote articles which called on people to fight against the government. For this, the government stopped him from publishing any more books.
He died in 1936. Lu Xun's importance and influence have grown. Today some of his works are included in school textbooks and his works are read by millions of people around the world.
