NTHU Publishes Biography of Mo-Jen Wang
2025.07.02
NTHU president W. John Kao (高為元, left) and An-Yi Chou (周安儀) at the launching ceremony for Biography of Mo-Jen Wang.
On July 2, National Tsing Hua University (NTHU) in Taiwan published the Biography of Mo-Jen Wang. Written by his widow, An-Yi Chou (周安儀), and published by NTHU Press, the book narrates Mo-Jen Wang's (王默人) eventful life story and his deep friendship with NTHU. Chou lives in the United States and traveled to Taiwan for the publication ceremony.
NTHU president W. John Kao (高為元) praised Wang for using his literary talents to give a voice to the lower rungs of Taiwanese society. He began his career as a journalist and soon began writing fiction, all the while describing the joys and sorrows of ordinary people, as well as the changing landscape of Taiwan, using novels to record the truth. Kao said with emotion: “His writing is weighty, without being argumentative; his words may not be elegant, but they have soul. Thus, we are grateful to Mo-Jen Wang for showing us that the sound of a quiet voice can actually be heard far and wide.
Chou said that Wang covered news during the day and wrote fiction at night. Literature was his ideal, but the times were unfair to him and his work was often censored or modified without his permission. In addition to the publication of the biography, Chou is very happy that the NTHU "Mo-Jen Wang & An-Yi Chou Literature Building" is now a part of Taiwan's Literature Museum Network, adding, “We need to revitalize classic literature and bring it onto the world stage!”
Wang was born as An-Tai Wang (王安泰) in 1934, in Huangmei County, Hubei Province. Due to the turmoil of the Chinese Civil War, at the age of 13 he arrived in Taiwan together with retreating Nationalist troops. After completing his compulsory military service, he was unable to continue his formal education and thus began a long period of self-study and auditing classes. While working as a reporter during the 1950s, he began to write novels, an undertaking which soon became his main occupation. Wang began using the pen name Mo-Jen in 1954. His realistic depictions of miners, mining disasters, and other grassroots characters did not go over well with the authorities, and he immigrated to the United States in 1985, whereupon he stopped writing for nearly 20 years.
In the United States Wang kept a low profile, until in 2011 a student of Professor Antonio Chen (陳建忠) of NTHU's Institute of Taiwan Literature completed a thesis on him, ushering in a new era of interest in Wang's work. As an expression of thanks, Wang and Chou provided major donations for the Mo-Jen Wang & An-Yi Chou Literature Building at NTHU. In 2015, NTHU awarded Wang an honorary doctorate of literature and in 2017 the university recommended him for the Nobel Prize in Literature.
The description of the biography by NTHU Press states that Wang spent his youth traveling between Taipei and Kaohsiung. Later, he was suspected of involvement in the 1983 elevator explosion incident at the United Daily News, and in 1985 he immigrated to the United States for fear of being framed. He passed away there in 2020.
Dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences Cho-Ying Li (李卓穎) said that Wang's literary career spanned over 60 years, with more than 100 works to his name. Although his pen name “Mo-Jen” literally translates as “silent person,” his works actually give a voice to those occupying the lower rungs of society, providing detailed accounts of the contradictions and struggles that take place in a society undergoing rapid transformation, with a realism comparable to the ukiyo-e art of Japan. Li said that Chou has done a remarkable job of combing through Wang's life journey and presenting it with literary finesse, revealing the deep affection they had for each other over many decades. He added that the opening of the NTHU "Mo-Jen Wang & An-Yi Chou Literature Building" and the publication of the Biography of Mo-Jen Wang will go a long way in transmitting the spirit of incisive writing and inspiring the younger generation to engage in literary research.
Director of the Institute of Taiwan Literature Yu-Ting Wang (王鈺婷) said that the biography is non-linear and divided into chapters by topic, adding that it is particularly meaningful that it was written by Chou, “Wang's partner and literary confidant.” She further stated that Chou has done a fine job of recounting both Wang's withdrawal from the literary world after leaving Taiwan and their mutual love for literature and one another.
In the foreword to the biography, honorary professor Jui-Teng Li (李瑞騰) of the Chinese Department at National Central University, states that Wang's novels have a certain humanitarian flavor, and that he never lost sight of his original aspirations. His representative works, Lower Stratum《地層下》 and Alian Returns to the River Gorge《阿蓮回到峽谷溪》, provide detailed depictions of the plight of miners and serve as valuable social records. Moreover, Wang's last work, The Earth Is Dancing《跳躍的地球》, can be thought of as a “book about life.”
At the new book symposium, National Arts Council chairman Chi-Yang Lin (Xiang Yang) (林淇瀁, 向陽), recalled that when he was the supplement editor for the Independence Evening News, he arranged for the publication of Wang's Alian Returns to the River Gorge. Not long afterwards, Wang was investigated in connection with the explosion at the United Daily News. Lin added that he and his wife have finally been exonerated.
The NTHU "Mo-Jen Wang & An-Yi Chou Literature Building" has recently opened “Light: Wang Mo-Jen and Chou An-Yi, Their Literature and Stories,” a permanent exhibition featuring memorabilia, literary achievements, life stories, manuscripts, calligraphy, paintings, articles of daily use, letters, and photos, which span half a century.
Following the book launch, the Mo-Jen Wang & An-Yi Chou Literature Building became the 38th museum to join the Literature Museum Network, a platform established in 2015 by The National Museum of Taiwan Literature (NMTL). The Network adheres to the spirit of “big museums leading small museums” in its efforts to connect literary museums across the country and reach out to campuses. At the ceremony, NMTL Director Ying-fang Chen (陳瑩芳) presented Director Wang with a commemorative painting of the new Museum.
Guests at the launching ceremony for Biography of Mo-Jen Wang..
Chou at the launching ceremony for Biography of Mo-Jen Wang describing her life with Wang.
Kao said Mo-Jen Wang (王默人) gave a voice to those occupying the lower rungs of society.
An-Yi Chou (周安儀, left) and Mo-Jen Wang (王默人) in 1972.
An-Yi Chou (周安儀) at the "Light" exhibition at the NTHU "Mo-Jen Wang & An-Yi Chou Literature Building."
An-Yi Chou (周安儀) contemplating a quotation on the wall of the NTHU "Mo-Jen Wang & An-Yi Chou Literature Building."
A replica of Wang and Chou's much-used dining room in San Francisco.
An-Yi Chou (周安儀) at the display case for Wang's works at the NTHU "Mo-Jen Wang & An-Yi Chou Literature Building."
At the new book symposium for Biography of Mo-Jen Wang. (Left to right): Chi-Yang Lin (林淇瀁), An-Yi Chou (周安儀), and Jui-Teng Li (李瑞騰).
The NTHU "Mo-Jen Wang & An-Yi Chou Literature Building" has become a member of the Literature Museum Network. At the ceremony, Ying-Fang Chen (陳瑩芳) presented Director Yu-Ting Wang (王鈺婷) with a commemorative painting of the new building.
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