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Ba Jin

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Ba Jin was a famous writer and thinker from China.

Former Residence of Ba Jin
Former Residence of Ba Jin

He was born Li Yaotang on November 25, 1904. His family lived in Chengdu, in the Sichuan Province. They were quite wealthy because they owned much land. This made them a typical landlord family. Ba Jin later used a pen name. People think his name came from his classmate Ba Embo. It might also come from the names of Russian thinkers. He used his writing to share big ideas about the world.

Ba Jin believed in a way of life called anarchism. Anarchism is the idea of freedom and equality for everyone. He wanted a world without unfair power or rulers. In 1919, he read a book called "An Appeal to the Young." This book changed how he thought about society. He traveled to France in 1927 to study more. While in France, he began writing his first novel. This book was called "Miewang," which means "Destruction."

Writing was a way for Ba Jin to connect people. He translated many books from other languages into Chinese. He even wrote three original works in Esperanto. Esperanto is a language made to help people from different lands talk. He translated the works of Peter Kropotkin to share new ideas. His books often focused on how people live together. One of his most famous works is called "The Family." He also wrote many stories just for children.

Ba Jin lived through many important times in history. He was influenced by many famous writers like Emma Goldman. He called her his "spiritual mother." During the Cultural Revolution, Ba Jin faced very hard times. He was treated as a counter-revolutionary during this period. He even wrote about his own part in the troubles. In 1981, he asked for museums to be built. He wanted these museums to show real objects from that era. He hoped this would help people learn from the past.

Ba Jin's life lasted for a very long time. He married Xiao Shan in 1944, but she died in 1972. Later in life, he had a sickness called Parkinson's disease. This illness kept him in a hospital in Shanghai. He passed away on October 17, 2005. He was 100 years old when he died. Even today, people remember him as a giant of Chinese literature. His many books still help people think about freedom.

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