Famed Chinese writer Zhang Xianliang died from an illness on Saturday at the age of 78.

Born in 1936 in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, Zhang first started his literary career in the early 1950s. However, the years after 1979 were some of Zhang's most prolific, leading him to become one of the most influential Chinese writers in the world. His works have been translated into 30 foreign languages. 

"I really enjoy his work, such as Mimosa and Flesh and Body, he is a very important figure in the history of modern Chinese literature," said famous writer A Lai.

Widely recognized as a representative figure of Scar Literature, a genre that focuses on the tragedies that befell intellectuals during the Cultural Revolution (1966-76), Zhang influenced countless people with his depictions of people's thoughts and feelings during that decade-long period of havoc.

Some critics even say Zhang's works have actually surpassed this genre.

"It's unfair to generalize Zhang as a Scar Literature writer. The genre actually appeared much earlier and is represented by the work Scar by Lu Xinhua," said Cheng Jianguo, a cultural critic. "Those works are merely direct depictions of an individual's life during the Cultural Revolution and lack any deep thoughts about the environment."

For instance, the influential Half of Man is Woman doesn't just focus on the Cultural Revolution, but made huge waves by breaking the taboo about talking about sex in China that existed during the 1980s.

Not just a writer, Zhang was also involved in the movie industry, establishing the China Western Film Studios in Yinchuan, Ningxia during the 1990s. More than 100 films, including Zhang Yimou's Red Sorghum, were filmed at the studio.

Global Times