Border town shen congwen

Shen Congwen (1902–1988), original name Shen Yuehuan, was a renowned writer, expert of historic and cultural relics, and a representative of the Beijing school of novel writing. He is considered one of a handful of literary masters in twentieth century Chinese literature. He was born in Fenghuang county, Hunan province, a remote and beautiful place at the conjunction of four provinces. His multi-ethnic background gave him an unusual bearing, a colorful imagination, and a cultural anguish which he concealed.

Having only an elementary school education, the young Shen Congwen studied the “big book of society.” He often played truant when he should have been attending school. He was thoroughly familiar with nature and the local customs of the people. At the age of fourteen, he joined the army, and came into closer contact with society, which helped him to build his strong character. In the summer of 1922, when he was twenty years old, he went to Beijing, then called Beiping, by himself. He educated himself and began to write under harsh circumstances. He wrote his earli