Lu Hsun

Lu Hsun (pen name of Zhou Shuren, 1881–1936) was a pioneering Chinese writer, essayist, and critic, widely regarded as the greatest modern Chinese author of the 20th century. He gained fame with his vernacular short story 'Diary of a Madman' in 1918, critiquing Confucian traditions, and became a leading voice in the New Culture and May Fourth Movements, later aligning with leftist politics. Through sharp essays and stories like 'The True Story of Ah Q,' he attacked social injustice and political corruption until his death from tuberculosis in Shanghai.