Ma Zhitu, a hundred-year-old literary giant, donated the proceeds of the calligraphy bazaar. Photo by Zhang Lang
Chengdu, January 4 (China News Network) -- On the afternoon of the 4th, on the eve of Ma Zhitu's 108th birthday, the literary giant donated 500,000 yuan from his Calligraphy Exhibition in June 2021 to the "Ma Zhitu Literature Award" set up by the School of Literature and Journalism of Sichuan University (referred to as the New College of Literature of Sichuan University) to fund the cold students who love literature.
As a well-known Chinese revolutionary, writer and calligrapher, Ma Zhitu once called Ba Jin, Zhang Xiushu, Sha Ting, and Ai Wu the "Five Elders of Shuzhong", and his work "Ten Memories of Night Tan" was remade into the movie "Let the Bullets Fly". At the age of 107, Ma Zhitu still worked hard, combined with his study experience at Southwest Union University, published a long book "Notes on the Oracle bones of Ma Zhitu Southwest United University".
Ma Zhitu, a hundred-year-old literary giant, donated the proceeds of the calligraphy bazaar. Photo by Zhang Lang
This is not the first time that Ma Zhitu has donated the proceeds of his calligraphy charity sale to students in school. In January 2014, Ma Zhitu held a 100-year-old calligraphy exhibition and donated more than 2.3 million yuan from the charity sale to Sichuan University Wenxin College, which also established the "Ma Zhitu Literature Award". Since 2014, Ma Zhitu has donated 3.86 million yuan to Sichuan University and funded 153 literary rookies.
Li Yi, dean of the New College of Literature at Sichuan University, said that the main body of the May Fourth Movement and the New Culture Movement was young students, Hu Shi published the "Discussion on Literary Improvement" at the age of 26, Guo Moruo published "Goddess" at the age of 28, Ma Zhitu published 19 literary works in various newspapers and periodicals at the age of 20, and the century-old Chinese literature that people are proud of today was pioneered by a group of young people. "Ma Lao's establishment of such a campus literature award in Chinese universities is that he deeply knows the secret of writing - writing starts from the most beautiful time period, the best age. In other words, Ma Lao pinned his hopes for literature on a new generation of youth. ”
In Li Yi's view, compared with the donations of some rich businessmen and enterprises today, 3.86 million yuan may not be much, but these are the enthusiasm and ideals portrayed by an old man over 100 years old with his life. What is given back to Ma Lao should not be a number, but to let the campus grow more writers who can contribute to the development of Chinese literature.
Ma Zhitu's grandson and Associate Professor of Sichuan Cultural Industry Vocational College Liu Xiaoyuan attended the donation ceremony as a representative of Ma Zhitu's family.
"My grandfather used to say that he was a professional revolutionary, half a writer, an amateur calligrapher, and looking back on his life, he had no regrets, but there were regrets." Liu Xiaoyuan said that although Grandpa began to engage in literary creation very early, there were basically no early works left, and later because of the underground revolutionary work, literary creation was interrupted for a long time, "Grandpa hopes that everyone can take advantage of the best creative years to record what they have seen and the people they have seen and spread it." ”
Liu Xiaoyuan said that although each writer has his own different style, Grandpa Ma Zhitu believes that literature is an expression of ideas and a transmission of values. Since they are Chinese writers, they must reflect the national nature of the Chinese nation when creating, show Chinese their own spirit, Chinese unique humanistic feelings, and write Chinese style and Chinese style. (End)