Xiao Hong

Chinese writer
the biographical film

Xiao Hong or Hsiao Hung (1 June 1911 – 22 January 1942) was a Chinese writer. Her ruming (乳名，infant name) was Zhang Ronghua (張榮華). Her xueming (學名，formal name used at school) was Zhang Xiuhuan (張秀環). Her name Zhang Naiying (張廼瑩) was changed by her grandfather; she also used the pen names Qiao Yin and Lingling.

Xiao Hong was born into a wealthy landlord family on 1 June 1911 the day of the Dragon Boat Festival in Hulan County, in what is now Heilongjiang Province. In 1932 Wang Enjia abandoned her and left her in a hotel while Xiao Hong was still pregnant. Unable to support the child, Xiao Hong put the child up for adoption. Lu Xun described its "keen observations and extraordinary writing style." This was the first time that Xiao Hong used the pen name by which she is presently known and this work marked the beginning of her popularity.

In 1927 Xiao Hong became a reader of the New Literature, Lu Xun's works have become Xiao Hong's favorite works. Before Xiao Hong and Xiao Jun went to Shanghai, they sent a manuscript of their work to Lu Xun. Before they arrived in Shanghai, Lu Xun read the manuscript. He accepted their request to join the young leftist authors. Lu Xun published both Xiao Hong and Xiao Jun's novels in his Slave Series (Nuli congshu).

She died during the chaos of wartime Hong Kong in the temporary hospital of St. Stephen's Girls' College on January 22, 1942. She was buried at dusk on January 25, 1942 in Hong Kong's Repulse Bay. Her grave was moved to Guangzhou in August 1957.

A biopic of Xiao Hong's life directed by Huo Jianqi, titled Falling Flowers, was released in 2012 in China. This was followed in 2014 by a further biopic, The Golden Era, directed by Hong Kong director Ann Hui.