Why Chinese Youth Love Yu Hua

Recently, the renowned Chinese author Yu Hua visited Italy to promote his new book “La città che non c’è”, creating a wave of excitement. Invited by the Italian La Feltrinelli Group, its foundation, and the Confucius Institute at the University of Milan, Yu Hua engaged with hundreds of readers in Milan, sharing the journey of his book’s creation. 

Prior to this, Yu Hua’s event in Turin also drew significant attention. 

Due to the overwhelming number of attendees, the organizers had to switch to a larger venue that could accommodate 500 people. In Milan, all 250 seats at the event were quickly reserved, and over 2500 readers registered through an online platform. 

As one of the most beloved contemporary authors among Chinese youth, Yu Hua captivated the audience with his witty and humorous remarks, earning waves of applause and laughter.

Yu Hua has a deep connection with Italy. 

Six of his translated works, including “To Live,” “Brothers,” and “The Seventh Day,” have been published in Italy. 

In 1998, he won the Italian Grinzane Cavour Literary Prize for “To Live,” which also received the Giuseppe Acerbi Literary Prize in 2014. In 2018, Yu Hua won the Grinzane Bottari Lattes Prize for “Il sette giorno” (“The Seventh Day”) and has been nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature multiple times. At this year’s Far East Film Festival, Chinese director Zhang Yimou received the Golden Mulberry Lifetime Achievement Award; one of his notable films is the adaptation of Yu Hua’s novel “To Live.”

According to Yu Hua, his new book “La città che non c’è” was conceived over 21 years but was only completed during the pandemic when he found himself with free time at home. 

After finishing the book, he indulged in enjoying life. He explained to the Italian audience the Chinese idiom “strike while the iron is hot”: it means to seize opportunities when they are favorable or to act promptly and decisively at the right moment. 

The phrase comes from blacksmithing, where it is crucial to shape the metal while it is hot and malleable; otherwise, it will harden and become difficult to work with. The same principle applies to life.

When discussing the historical context of the book, Yu Hua expressed his desire to present a century of China’s condition through his works. This book, along with his three other works “To Live,” “Brothers,” and “The Seventh Day,” collectively form a century. 

“The publishers are delighted because they can sell four books at once. 

The slogan is: ‘Read four books by Yu Hua to understand a century of China,'” he joked, drawing laughter from the audience.

For the first time, Yu Hua created a character like “Xiaomei” in this book. 

She embodies the societal constraints placed on women at the time. Xiaomei’s life is full of struggles, and she falls in love with two men. 

Yu Hua believes that Xiaomei is the heartbeat of the book, while other characters are its breath; without the heartbeat, there is no breath. 

Therefore, he wrote an additional piece focusing on Xiaomei, fully depicting her struggles from her perspective. “Some say I invented a new way of writing, but when a writer invents a new genre, it’s because he has no other choice,” Yu Hua remarked. He sought inspiration by observing many old photos, using numerous metaphors in the book to accentuate the temporal distance.

Yu Hua hopes to reflect more traditional Chinese virtues in his book, as the high moral standards among people at the time are increasingly rare in today’s society. 

Speaking about the male protagonist’s profession, Yu Hua emphasized the importance of learning a craft in China. Nowadays, with high unemployment rates, mainstream media criticize Chinese youth for lacking ambition and resorting to praying to deities. 

Yu Hua counters, “Praying to deities is also a form of progress! Because they believe that good things await them in the future.” 

He shared a story: 20 years ago, Yu Hua visited a famous temple and saw many people praying for wealth but few for peace, because “what’s the point of peace without money?” Contemporary young people face unemployment and the disparity between rich and poor. 

Some may study hard up to the PhD level, only to find their job unrelated to their field of study; others might have had the chance to become second-generation wealthy but their parents missed the opportunity. The audience reflected on these points while laughing.

With the advent of AI, many people feel a sense of crisis, but Yu Hua believes that novelists must maintain their individuality, and language communication skills are also crucial.

 AI will not replace excellent novelists. Next, Yu Hua plans to write an essay collection about family relationships before considering writing another novel. 

He believes that authors need some luck as they grow, and he has been fortunate in Italy, having met suitable translators, appreciative publishers, and enthusiastic readers. He says he will keep writing, continuously, because life is composed of many experiences, and not writing about them is like not having lived them.

In many of Yu Hua’s works, people exhibit a state of existence intertwined with poverty and hunger, violence and death, under the dual pressures of survival difficulties and spiritual alienation. 

On one hand, by depicting the inability of ordinary people to meet even their basic survival needs, he deepens the expression of suffering. On the other hand, by confronting scenes of violence, bloodshed, and death, he ruthlessly exposes the false masks and ugly scars of reality, bringing the portrayal of suffering to its peak. 

His unique writing style leaves a lasting impression, and like young people, he is active on online platforms. His humorous and witty personality has earned him a large following of young fans.

At the end of the event, Yu Hua signed books for all the readers present. 

Readers lined up with different editions of Yu Hua’s books and cards, and some even brought a toy dog for Yu Hua to sign, as Yu Hua is affectionately nicknamed “Scrawled Puppy” by Chinese netizens because his hair style resembled that of a puppy on the internet. Yu Hua was patient and kind, and readers expressed their joy on social media.

The event was attended not only by Chinese students and expatriates from various Italian cities but also by Italian readers who love Chinese culture. 

Yu Hua’s literary charm has a significant influence among the Chinese community in Italy. 

This event served as a window for cultural exchange between China and Italy, fostering greater communication and understanding. Literature has no borders, and outstanding works deserve to be seen.