"Don't ask me where I'm from, my hometown is far away......
Remember "The Olive Tree"? Remember Sanmao?
In the era of Taiwan's closed-mindedness, Sanmao refused school, wandered the world, exotic love songs, and Saharan life, and wrote more than 20 literary works incrediblely, which influenced countless Taiwanese hearts who longed for freedom.
On January 4, 1991, Sanmao ended her life in Taipei. Her relics were donated to the Taiwan Literature Museum located at No. 1 Zhongzheng Road, Central and Western District, Tainan City.
The Tainan Prefecture Hall in 1900 (during the Japanese occupation) is now the Taiwan Literature Museum
On March 26, Sanmao's 78th birthday, the Taiwan Museum of Literature held a special exhibition "The Wandering Olive Tree: The 30th Anniversary of Sanmao's Death", continuing the thoughts of the past and inviting readers who remember or have never known her to visit Sanmao's free heart and sincere pen from Sanmao's manuscripts and collections.
The person: the person who escapes from the orbit of the world
Sanmao, whose real name is Chen Maoping, was born in 1943. When he grew up, he thought that there were too many name pen paintings, so he changed his name to Chen Ping.
In junior high school, I didn't like textbooks and only read extracurricular books, so I took a break from school to study at home. She likes to write, and during this period, she had a manuscript published in "Modern Literature", and was later admitted to the Department of Philosophy of the Chinese Culture Institute.
一九六七年，陳平獨闖西班牙，就讀馬德里大學。 在這個都市第一次認識荷西(José María Quero y Ruíz)。
In 1971, she returned to Taiwan to teach, had a not-so-smooth love, and two years later left for Spain. After six years, I met Jose, who had become a diver, and went to the Sahara in the Spanish territory with us.
In 1974, Chen Ping and Jose got married, and in October, she wrote about Sahara life as "China Hotel", which was published in the supplement of "United Daily News", signed "Sanmao", and has since become a pen name.
Its text: Taiwan's most peculiar travel literature
"China Hotel" has caused a "three-hair whirlwind" in Taiwan, which is a prose style that Taiwanese have never seen. The desert people only take a bath every four years, and the inside of the body is filled with water hoses, and the unbelievable characters and stories are romantic and legendary, and the first-person "I" narrative is used, no matter how exaggerated, it seems to be a real person.
Sanmao often writes about her and Jose's unique love life, which is an eye-opener for readers. They once bought a car, nicknamed "White Horse", and they played a lot of roles in the work. The SH-A3480 license plate, which was later donated to the collection of the Taiwan Museum of Literature, was designed as a creative product in 2019 - an umbrella to block the heat.
In 1976, "The Story of the Sahara" was published in a collection, followed by "Scarecrow Notes", "Weeping Camel", and "Gentle Night", which were bestsellers. So far, Sanmao is perhaps the best-selling and most influential literary person in Taiwan.
Its era: the freedom that adventure can pursue
Six years after their marriage, José died in a work accident. Sanmao almost collapsed, returned to Taiwan gloomily, and continued to write and travel.
In 1981, with the support of United Daily News, he traveled to Central and South America for half a year and wrote "Thousands of Rivers, Thousands of Mountains". Taiwan's fifteen-year Sanmao whirlwind has come to an end.
In the era of political closure, a woman's "wandering" desert wonders and exotic romances opened a window for Taiwan to see the world. Although Sanmao Puppet has also been questioned for fiction and hypocrisy, she extremely insists that every word of her is true. In fact, whether it is true or imaginary, because of Sanmao, Taiwan at that time could know that free life needed to take risks to fight.
At the end of 1990, Sanmao's last work "Dancing a Dance is also Good" wrote, for this new A.D. 1991, my heart is full of joy to welcome. But on January 4, 1991, Sanmao committed suicide in the hospital and left her legendary world.
Chronology
1943
Originally from Dinghai, Zhejiang, he was born in Chongqing on March 26, the second oldest in his family, with an older sister and two younger brothers. In the war-torn era, her father named her Mao Ping according to the genealogical ranking and the hope for peace, but when she began to learn to write, Sanmao skipped it because she couldn't learn to write Mao characters, and called herself Chen Ping, and his father had to remove the "Mao" in the names of his younger brothers "from the good as the flow".
1948
With his parents moved from Chongqing to Nanjing, he lived with his uncle and his family in a Western-style building with the address of "No. 4 Toutiao Lane, Gulou", where he read his first book - the comic "Sanmao Wanderings".
1949
The whole family arrived in Taiwan on the Zhongxing ship in the cold winter at the end of the year and lived in Zhu Chulun, Taipei.
1953
Attended Chung Cheng Primary School in Taipei. In his early childhood, Sanmao showed his love for books and loved to read all the books he could get; When she watched Dream of Red Mansions in class in the fifth grade and read that Baoyu said goodbye to her father, she "suddenly understood what it meant to be 'realm'", and "the beauty of literature" has since become her lifelong goal.
1954
Admitted to Taipei No. 1 Girls' High School. In the second year of junior high school, he took a leave of absence from school, and was carefully guided by his parents, laying a solid foundation in ancient poetry and English, and successively studied with Gu Fusheng and Shao Youxuan, two painters.
1962
On the recommendation of Gu Fusheng, he published his debut novel "Confusion" in the 15th issue of "Modern Literature" edited by Bai Xianyong, thus starting his literary creation career.
1963
He published the novel "Moon River" in Volume 19, Issue 6 of "The Crown".
1964
He was granted the privilege of Mr. Zhang Qiyun, the founder of Culture University, to enter the Department of Philosophy of the university and was selected as a student with excellent results.
1967
He went to Spain alone to study at the Faculty of Letters and Philosophy of the University of Madrid, where he became acquainted with José. After completing his studies, he transferred to the Goethe-Institut in Germany, where he specialized in Chinese and obtained his qualification as a German teacher in nine months. He then moved to the United States to work at the University of Illinois Law Library.
1970
He was invited by Mr. Zhang Qiyun to teach in the Department of German and the Department of Philosophy of the Cultural University.
1972
The sudden death of her German fiancé caused her grief to leave Taiwan again; Reunited with Jose in Spain.
1973
In February he decided to marry José, and in April he packed everything in Madrid and set foot in the Sahara Desert.
1974
Married to Jose in the local court of the Spanish Sahara Desert. Although life in the desert is a little boring, but also has its own interest, once again stimulated Sanmao's writing talent, the first article on this theme "China Hotel" was published in the supplement of "United Daily News" on October 6, by the then editor-in-chief Mr. Ping Xintao appreciation, since then the works have been endless.
1976
Publication of his first work, The Story of the Sahara. Moved to live on the island of Danav in the Canary Islands.
1979
On September 30, Jose died in a diving accident, and Sanmao returned to Taiwan with the support of his parents.
1981
It was decided to end 14 years of wandering in a foreign country and return to Taiwan to settle down. In November, he accepted the sponsorship of "United Daily News" to travel to Central and South America for half a year, and after returning to China, he collected and published the book "Thousands of Mountains and Rivers", and gave a speech around the island.
1982
He was hired as an associate professor in the literary and artistic creation group of the Department of Chinese at the Chinese Culture University, and offered two courses, "Novel Creation" and "Prose Creation", which were deeply loved by students.
1984
He resigned from his teaching position at Culture University due to health reasons, and focused his life on writing and speaking.
1989
In April, he returned to his hometown for the first time to visit his relatives and ancestors, and met his dearest Uncle Ni Zhuqing when he was a child; And made a special trip to Shanghai to visit Mr. Zhang Leping, the father of Sanmao, to fulfill his long-cherished wish for many years.
1990
Engaged in film script writing, completed the first Chinese script and the last work - "Rolling Red Dust"; The film is directed by Yan Hao, starring Qin Han, Lin Qingxia, Maggie Cheung and others, and has won a number of Golden Horse Awards.
1991
January 4th. He was 48 years old.
Impression calico
Ding Wenling: "Firm as a stone, soft as a desert rose in the eyes of a fine sand friend":
Sanmao's people made it difficult for her relatives and friends to speak. Interestingly, the woman they remembered was different. It's even very different, like a desert rose. In the wind of smoke and dust, where it comes and generates, she is like a handful of soft fine sand in her hand, but as long as she leaves the desert, she is a strong flower stone, and her posture is strange.
Chen Siqing (Sanmao's father).〈My second child - the third lady〉:
The most bizarre thing in Sanmao's life is her attitude towards money, she is very bitter and poor, but she has absolutely no concept of numbers, and she is unwilling to work for money. In those bitter years, she really had soy sauce bibimbap, and when she had money, she desperately bought books and traveled. But she is stupid, she is not stupid, she has forgotten money in every pocket, and occasionally when she wears it and touches it, she hurries to the bookstore.
〈I have something to say〉:
She is not as unconceptualized about money as her father said, and she is unequivocal when she asks people how much they pay for their manuscripts. But she was soft-hearted, and when people gave her 1,000 words and 200 Taiwan dollars, she first refused angrily, and then she thought that the magazine was opened by an ideal young man, and there was no fund, so she went back on her word to support people. But some places are very polite to her, and the manuscript fee is more, and after she receives it, she is jammed.
Sanmao family. 〈"Sanmao" does not exist〉:
"Sanmao" is her aperture, but in our opinion, those fame seem to be indifferent to her. She has always been Chen Ping inside, an honest soul who is herself and always has a little childlike fun.
Gui Wenya. "Gambler in a Foreign Land":
In the desert, she said, material needs are almost zero, but there is still a spiritual ....... When she said these words, her attitude was focused and serious, but her laughter, gestures, and gestures with cigarette ash were very playful and calm, and the experience of human affairs seemed to make her return to the basics.
LIAO Weitang. "She makes us imagine the end of the world":
It was she who made me understand the breath of freedom so vividly, and the meaning of the ends of the earth to a writer...... When I think of her, I still can't bear to simply regard her as a popular writer, she just demonstrates to us a limited freedom in her own small strength, at least to show that people in the red dust can live and die so violently.
ZHANG Tuorui. 〈Benefactor. Friends. Dead Party〉:
Sanmao's heart is both thin and soft. To friends, any friends, she is to help, encourage and give as much as she can, and she is only allowed to give and no one else is allowed to give. That's really the case.
Ji Zheng. 〈Possession of Sanmao‧Fantasy Sanmao〉:
Anyone who has read Sanmao's article must know that Sanmao can tell stories,...... When talking to her, Sanmao is extremely innocent, but sometimes it is a little mysterious, like an illusory character, so I can't see it clearly. To be honest, for Sanmao, I can only say that I hope I can really have her, and fantasize about her.
DING Songqing. 〈River of No Return〉:
Sanmao is so sensitive to everything: people, nature, and things. Few people have such strong feelings as hers, like a burning candle, and she quickly burns herself out. But it was too late to spread the light and warmth to too many people. At the end of her favorite book, the little prince discovers a way to return to his own world. …… Sanmao is the little prince – or the little princess. Maybe she's too wonderful to live in this world. She's home now, and I miss her. But I know we'll meet again one day.
Scabs. "The Legend of the Lily - Remembering Sanmao":
I think the best way to commemorate Sanmao is that everyone should put aside Sanmao's legend, put aside factors other than literature, face her works objectively and calmly, study her special writing style and aesthetic quality, and study her strong artistry and inner vitality, which is the most important way to understand Sanmao and interpret Sanmao.
Spiritual Dream Field
When Sanmao was still Chen Ping
Although the writing skills are immature, and the content inevitably emphasizes too much personalized sadness and fragmentary reverie, the sincerity and heterogeneous beauty revealed in it have a peculiar affinity, allowing us to get a glimpse of a certain section of this "literary girl".
Looking for the nostalgia of a past life
In the story of the Sahara, Sanmao writes many melancholy encounters with vigor and interest, full of curiosity, pathos and sympathy for people, in the sorrow and sadness, in addition to the beauty and romance, there is a kind of tenacious and rich heritage, which is the desert wonder that can be born in the rough reality.
A boy's love
Their marriage, in addition to the exotic color, also added thrilling condiments, as well as all kinds of quirky life interests, like a tortuous and bumpy journey to heaven, beyond the general "love first" model, into a "long-distance romantic alternative happy life" text, which is still imprinted in the hearts of many readers and is an unforgettable chapter.
Play in the arts
A serious sense of mission is not Sanmao's ideal of pen cultivation, she has a clear understanding of her own creation; It is precisely because of this realization that she turns writing into a clever game, and her writing is emotional, fresh and timeless, and readers will read it with relish and catchiness.
Cultural relics and manuscripts exhibition area
The seemingly ordinary but actually bizarre treasures owned by Sanmao are like time and space capsules, engraved with the moments of contact and communication between her and people in different countries, and recorded one after another meaningful fate; With the joys and sorrows of life and the warming of life trajectory, she has become a part of the writer's thoughts, behaviors, temperament and conversation, and therefore occupies an indispensable place in her life journey. The exhibition area specially exhibits dozens of cultural relics carefully collected by Sanmao, and tells you the story of the baby one by one.
Traveled all over the mountains and rivers
Since the 60s, when many people didn't know what "travel" was, Sanmao used his own feet to walk out of a world map; Over the decades, wandering has become her hallmark, and her rebellious character and wandering spirit have repeatedly blown a yearning bohemian whirlwind.
The exhibition area outlines the four most important wandering routes of Sanmao's life, with the images and writer-related cultural relics in the journey, in the quiet and quiet telling of cultural relics, following Sanmao's footsteps to walk through the world, we will be closer to the life ideal she lives and pursues.
Go to the end of the world for "not love".
couldn't wait for her boyfriend's response, Sanmao was a little angry, half-truthfully and half-truthfully went through the procedures for going abroad, but she didn't expect to make it true and "get her wish": Spain, Germany, the United States ......, she was forced to go abroad by feelings, but it also changed the fate of her life.