The Golden Era

Xiao Hong, one of most radiant female writers, lived through the most turbulent times in contemporary China. Although the basic facts about her life are easy to establish, much of the detail remains obscure. Her estrangement from her father sparked a long quest for an emotionally satisfying life. She was rescued from poverty by writer Xiao Jun, but their competitive relationship brought her more heartache than joy. While escaping the Japanese invasion, she married novelist Duanmu Hongliang and fled together to Hong Kong, which soon fell to the Japanese. She died of tuberculosis at the age of 31.