Yeh Chia-ying, China’s ‘daughter of poetry’, dies at the age of 100

Literary scholar is remembered for her passion for classical Chinese poetry and charisma that inspired generations of writers and students

Reading Time:3 minutes

Yeh Chia-ying spent seven decades researching and promoting classical poetry across mainland China, Taiwan, the United States and Canada. Photo: Xinhua

Published: 10:00am, 26 Nov 2024

Yeh Chia-ying, a revered figure in Chinese classical poetry and education, died at the age of 100 in the northern port city of Tianjin on Sunday.

Often referred to as the “daughter of poetry”, she dedicated seven decades to researching and promoting classical Chinese poetry across mainland China, Taiwan, the United States and Canada. She influenced countless students, including literary masters Kenneth Pai Hsien-yung and Xi Murong.

“Renowned for her unique charisma and dedication to her homeland, Professor Yeh consistently advocated for Chinese poetry education and the preservation of outstanding traditional culture, leaving an indelible mark on the study, transmission, and development of Chinese classical literature,” Tianjin’s Nankai University, where Yeh spent her later years teaching and establishing research funds, said in an obituary on Sunday.

Born in 1924 into a distinguished literary family in Beijing, Yeh’s early life was steeped in the traditions of Chinese poetry amid the chaos of China’s tumultuous 20th century.

In one interview, Yeh recalled she “heard gunfire at the doorstep of her courtyard” during the Marco Polo Bridge incident in July 1937, a key battle in Japan’s invasion of China.

In 1941, during the Chinese civil war, she enrolled at Fu Jen Catholic University in Beijing, studying under poetry master Gu Sui.