Bai Hua

Bai Hua (; 20 November 1930 – 15 January 2019) was a Chinese novelist, playwright and poet. He gained national fame for his plays based on uncompromising historical criticism.

Early life Bai was born Chen Youhua in Xinyang, Henan in 1930. His mother was illiterate but able to sing folk songs, which became a lifelong interest for her son. His father, an anti-Japanese activist, was executed by the Japanese by burying him alive in 1938. Bai had a twin brother, Ye Nan (1930–2003), who became a successful movie scriptwriter in the 1980s.

Personal life Bai married Wang Bei, a Chinese actress, and lived in retirement in Shanghai with his wife.