Wu Qiang

Wu Qiang (1910–1990), originally named Wang Datong, was a native of Lianshui, Jiangsu, and a Chinese contemporary military writer. He took part in progressive literary activities in his early years, joined the League of Left-Wing Writers in 1933, and enlisted in the New Fourth Army in 1938. He personally experienced the battles of Laiwu, Menglianggu, and Huaihai, which provided rich material for his writing. His novel Red Sun, published in 1957 and set against the backdrop of the War of Liberation, created many vivid military figures and has had a profound influence; it is his representative work. He also wrote Fortress, The Horse Keeper, and Roaring Smoke-Reed Harbor, among others. Drawing largely on his own combat experience, his writing is plain and vigorous, with attention to characterization and the realistic depiction of wartime scenes, earning him a place in modern Chinese military literature.