Yuan Changying | |
---|---|
Born | 11 October 1894
Liling |
Died | 28 April 1973
(aged 78) Liling |
Alma mater | |
Children | Yang Jingyuan |
Yuan Changying ( Chinese:袁昌英; October 11, 1894 –April 28, 1973) was a Chinese writer. [1] [2] She was the first Chinese woman to graduate from the University of Edinburgh and the first Chinese woman to be a Master's student in Britain. [1] [3] [4] She is best known for her collection of plays - Southeast Flies the Peacock. [1] [2] [4] [5] [6]
On October 11, 1894, Yuan Changying was born in the city of Liling in Hunan. [1] [2] Her father Yuan Jiapu was educated at Waseda University. [1] Yuan's mother died when Yuan was young. [6] Her father remarried and had a son and another daughter. [6] Yuan married Chinese economist Yang Duanliu (杨端六). [5] Yuan met Yang when he was studying at the University of London. [5] After graduating from University of Edinburgh in 1921, Yuan returned to China with Yang. [1] In February 1923 in Changsha, Yuan gave birth to Yang and hers daughter, Yang Jingyuan (杨静远). [7] Later on, Yuan gave birth to their son - Yang Hongyuan (杨弘远). [7]
In 1916, Yuan started attending Blackheath High School in London. [1] From 1916 to 1921, Yuan studied at the University of Edinburgh, where she earned a Master's Degree in English drama and literature. [1] [4] [8] Her master's thesis was about William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. [1]
In 1922, she started teaching women at Beijing Normal University. [1]
In 1928, Yuan became a professor at Wuhan University in the School of Chinese Language and Literature. [4] [9] While at Wuhan University, she worked and befriended Su Xuelin and Ling Shuhua and the three of them were known together as the "Three Female Talents of Luojia Mountain," [4] the "Three Heroines of Luojia,” [1] or "The Three Musketeers of Luojia." [5] She also taught at the China University of Political Science and Law. [10]
In 1930, she published Southeast Flies the Peacock, which was a collection of Chinese plays in the "spoken drama" style instead of in an opera style. [4] [5] Yuan's nickname - "the peacock of Liling" - originated from her 1930 collection. [5] In 1935, students at Wuhan University performed Southeast Flies the Peacock. [4] Yuan was also a part of a literary group called The Crescent Moon Society. [11]
In 1931, she accused Hong Shen of plagiarism in her article "Zhuang shi huangdi he Zhao yanwang." [12] Hong Shen would deny these accusations. [12]
Later in life, Yuan became a member of Chinese Democratic League. [1]
In 1973, she died in Liling. [1] [2]
The University of Edinburgh honored Changying by naming The Yuan Changying Prize after her. [3] The Yuan Changying Prize recognizes outstanding ‘gender observations’ written by undergraduate students in Edinburgh's "Understanding Gender in the Contemporary World" class. [3]
Yuan Changying | |
---|---|
Born | 11 October 1894
Liling |
Died | 28 April 1973
(aged 78) Liling |
Alma mater | |
Children | Yang Jingyuan |
Yuan Changying ( Chinese:袁昌英; October 11, 1894 –April 28, 1973) was a Chinese writer. [1] [2] She was the first Chinese woman to graduate from the University of Edinburgh and the first Chinese woman to be a Master's student in Britain. [1] [3] [4] She is best known for her collection of plays - Southeast Flies the Peacock. [1] [2] [4] [5] [6]
On October 11, 1894, Yuan Changying was born in the city of Liling in Hunan. [1] [2] Her father Yuan Jiapu was educated at Waseda University. [1] Yuan's mother died when Yuan was young. [6] Her father remarried and had a son and another daughter. [6] Yuan married Chinese economist Yang Duanliu (杨端六). [5] Yuan met Yang when he was studying at the University of London. [5] After graduating from University of Edinburgh in 1921, Yuan returned to China with Yang. [1] In February 1923 in Changsha, Yuan gave birth to Yang and hers daughter, Yang Jingyuan (杨静远). [7] Later on, Yuan gave birth to their son - Yang Hongyuan (杨弘远). [7]
In 1916, Yuan started attending Blackheath High School in London. [1] From 1916 to 1921, Yuan studied at the University of Edinburgh, where she earned a Master's Degree in English drama and literature. [1] [4] [8] Her master's thesis was about William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. [1]
In 1922, she started teaching women at Beijing Normal University. [1]
In 1928, Yuan became a professor at Wuhan University in the School of Chinese Language and Literature. [4] [9] While at Wuhan University, she worked and befriended Su Xuelin and Ling Shuhua and the three of them were known together as the "Three Female Talents of Luojia Mountain," [4] the "Three Heroines of Luojia,” [1] or "The Three Musketeers of Luojia." [5] She also taught at the China University of Political Science and Law. [10]
In 1930, she published Southeast Flies the Peacock, which was a collection of Chinese plays in the "spoken drama" style instead of in an opera style. [4] [5] Yuan's nickname - "the peacock of Liling" - originated from her 1930 collection. [5] In 1935, students at Wuhan University performed Southeast Flies the Peacock. [4] Yuan was also a part of a literary group called The Crescent Moon Society. [11]
In 1931, she accused Hong Shen of plagiarism in her article "Zhuang shi huangdi he Zhao yanwang." [12] Hong Shen would deny these accusations. [12]
Later in life, Yuan became a member of Chinese Democratic League. [1]
In 1973, she died in Liling. [1] [2]
The University of Edinburgh honored Changying by naming The Yuan Changying Prize after her. [3] The Yuan Changying Prize recognizes outstanding ‘gender observations’ written by undergraduate students in Edinburgh's "Understanding Gender in the Contemporary World" class. [3]