Culture writer Yu Qiuyu debuts first novel. (Photo : China Daily)
After lying low for quite awhile, renowned culture author Yu Qiuyu reenters the writing industry again--this time, with his first novel titled "Bing He," or the "Icy River."
Yu, who is deemed one of the most popular contemporary Chinese culturists and writers, is known for his "bold and direct criticisms" of several particular cultural phenomena in China which made people in the country and overseas both love and detest him.
His readers from all over the world have always watched out for his cultural explorations that link China to the rest of the world.
In 2008, Yu had been out of public eye after being accused of not making good on his promised donation to earthquake victims.
Having had enough, the famed writer had broken his silence last week and explained that all these years he had been living under false reports from the media.
That, however, was not the main reason why he came out from his shell.
According to China-based news bureau Sina English, his publisher Beijing Motie Book Co. had organized an event where they launched Yu's first-ever novel, the "Icy River."
Yu's novel, set in ancient China, revolves around the story of a young, beautiful and talented woman named Meng He, who takes a trek toward finding her long-lost biological father and finds her one true love along the way.
Yu became well-known during the 1990s for his unique "information-dense travelogue-style" books, which earned him the rights to be considered as an authority of sorts about cultural topics.
He is also known for his gift in the theatrical arts that had led to him meeting his lovely wife, Ma Lan, who is a traditional Chinese Huangmei opera artist and was known for her work in "The Emperor's Female Son-in-Law" or "Nyu Fuma."
