Bo Yang

Guo Dingsheng
Native name
郭定生
BornGuo Dingsheng
(1920-03-07)7 March 1920
Kaifeng, Henan, Republic of China
Died29 April 2008(2008-04-29) (aged 88)
Xindian, Taipei County (now Xindian District of New Taipei City), Republic of China
Pen nameBoyang
OccupationHistorian, novelist, philosopher, poet
LanguageChinese
CitizenshipRepublic of China
Alma materNortheastern University
Period1950–2008

Bo Yang (simplified Chinese: 柏杨; traditional Chinese: 柏楊; pinyin: Bó Yáng; 7 March 1920 – 29 April 2008), sometimes also erroneously called Bai Yang, was a Chinese historian, novelist, philosopher, poet based in Taiwan. He is also regarded as a social critic. His best-known work is The Ugly Chinaman, a controversial book that was banned in mainland China; in it he harshly criticized Chinese culture and the national character of Chinese people. According to his own memoir, the exact date of his birthday was unknown even to himself. He later adopted 7 March, the date of his 1968 imprisonment, as his birthday.