奇速英语

作家琼瑶：火花燃尽，翩然归去

On Wednesday, December 4, 2024, Chinese novelist Chiung Yao passed away. Chiung Yao, or Qiong Yao, whose real name is Chen Zhe, was born in 1938 in Chengdu, Sichuan Province. She moved to Taiwan Province with her parents in 1949 and lived there until her death.

Known as one of the most famous romance novelists, Qiong Yao wrote more than sixty romance novels in her lifetime. Over 50 of these were adapted into hit films and TV shows, including My Fair Princess and Fantasies Behind the Pearly Curtain. Her pen name, Qiong Yao, became a cultural icon of her time.

In 1962, Qiong Yao’s first novel Outside the Window was published, followed by The Deep Garden and Courtyard (1969) and the short story collection Six Dreams (1964), which made her rise to fame. By 1985, many of her works had been turned into movies and TV series. Shows like Plum Blossom Branding (adapted from Plum Blossom Branding, 1993) and Romance in the Rain (adapted from Fire and Rain, 1963) made Qiong Yao a household name. From the 1990s to the 2000s, her novels and TV series were often buzzwords (时髦术语).

Qiong Yao has influenced several generations of Chinese people. Chen Wei, a retired manager from Beijing, recalls that novels like My Fair Princess and Fire and Rain were hugely popular when she was young. “I remember borrowing Fire and Rain and keeping it for a long time,” she says. “Her books and movies hold so many people’s memories.”