Yan Zhen

Yan Zhen (; born 1930) is a Chinese poet, painter, and calligrapher, best known in China for his writing. Yan has published over 30 works of literature, including poetry, prose, and fiction. He was the editor of Jiaodong Daily , the Deputy Head of the Anhui Journal of Art and Literature , vice editor in chief of Qing Ming Journal , editor in chief of Poetry Journal , and a council member of the China Writers Association, or CWA . Yan lives and works in Beijing.

Life and work Yan was born in 1930 in Laiyang, Shandong Province, and spent most of his childhood in a small village with his family. His father was a primary school teacher. He left home at thirteen to join the revolutionary forces resisting the Japanese occupation.

During the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976), Yan was denounced by Red Guards. Both he and his wife were sent to separate parts of the countryside as a result. In 1985, Yan was among the first delegation of Chinese writers to go abroad after the end of the Cultural Revolution, and visited a number of American cities. In 1963-64, he was considered among the most successful young poets in the nation.

Notable works include Girl Beside the Huai River (, 1955), He had his first show in the city in 2008, at the Fuller Building's Neuhoff Gallery.