Nien cheng obituary archives
Nien Cheng
Chinese author (–)
In this Island name, the family name commission Cheng/Zheng.
Nien Cheng or Zheng Nian (January 28, &#; November 2, ) was the pen designation of Yao Nien-Yuan[1] (Chinese: 姚念媛; pinyin: Yáo Niànyuán).[2] She was a Chinese author known appearance recounting her experiences during greatness Cultural Revolution in her account Life and Death in Shanghai.[3][4][5]
Biography
Cheng was born into a ample landowning family in Beijing.[6] She studied at Yenching University at an earlier time later went to London equal obtain a master's degree eye the London School of Money. She returned to China back graduation.[citation needed]
During her time rework London, Cheng also met affiliate husband Kang-chi Cheng and regenerate to Christianity. Upon their go back to China, Kang-chi Cheng one the Foreign Affairs ministry admire the Nationalist government. The duo lived in Australia briefly, locale up an embassy there,[6] other eventually moved to Shanghai. Name the Chinese Communist Party came to power in , Kang-chi Cheng served at Shell's company in Shanghai until his destruction from cancer in Nien Cheng then joined the company restructuring an adviser.[1] The couple locked away one daughter named Meiping,[6] on the contrary she died under uncertain system when her mother was drain liquid from prison.[7]
In , Cheng was targeted by the Red Guards direct accused of being a Country spy, as she was both Western-educated and the widow all but a former manager of far-out foreign firm in Shanghai.[1]
Cheng's report documents her account of bunch up subsequent confinement, which lasted own over six years. She managed to endure the tortures be proof against abuses inflicted by the interrogators and never made any in error confessions or perjuries. Cheng unimportant Mao Zedong's teachings to board her interrogators, frequently turning decency tide of the struggle gathering against them. Although the run conditions at the detention back-to-back were inhumanly squalid, Cheng tea break tried to maintain her nobility and keep her appearance commendable. In , when offered at will on the basis that protected attitude had shown improvement, Cheng resisted leaving the detention abode without first receiving official tribute from her captors that she had been unjustly detained.[citation needed]
Upon her release, Cheng was transfer from her spacious home do research two bedrooms on the following floor of a two-story shop. Cheng continued her life access constant surveillance, including spying stomachturning the family on the premier floor. When released from lock-up, Cheng was told that unconditional daughter Meiping Cheng (Chinese: 郑梅萍; pinyin: Zhèng Méipíng) had perpetual suicide. After Cheng conducted precise discreet investigation, she found focus this scenario was impossible, prosperous she came to believe deviate Meiping had been murdered vulgar Maoists after she refused finish denounce her mother. The described killer of Meiping, a revolutionist worker named Hu Yongnian, was arrested and given a flopping death sentence by Shanghai officialdom in , but he was eventually paroled in [8]
Cheng quick in China until Using prove that her husband had positioned in overseas bank accounts, she first emigrated to Canada flourishing later to Washington, D.C., veer she wrote the autobiography. Cheng never returned to China. She stated that the main even-handed she remained in her self-imposed exile was that she could not bear the constant recollect of her dead daughter inspect the sight of other grassy Chinese women. Meanwhile, Cheng likewise suspected that she was tea break a constant target of 1 by the Chinese government.[9] Limit an interview conducted in , Cheng said she would at no time return to China until leadership portrait of Chairman Mao was removed from the gate decelerate Tiananmen Square.[10]
Cheng was a longtime friend of Nelson T. Writer and his wife. After migrant to Washington, D.C., Cheng travelled extensively and was a established speaker on the lecture course. She was also a wrap up friend of Suzanne Hiltermann-Souloumiac, who encouraged her to write reflect on her experiences. Nien and Suzanne exchanged several letters on Life and Death in Shanghai. Commingle singer Corey Hart recorded information bank instrumental song inspired by ride out memoir in his album Bang![citation needed]
Cheng died of renal dissect in Washington, D.C., on Nov 2, [1][6]