Chiung yao biography of christopher

Chiung Yao (born Chen Che; April 20, 1938 – December 4, 2024) was a Taiwanese author, screenwriter, and producer whose sentimental romance novels shaped popular culture in the Chinese-speaking world through their adaptations into films and television series.^[1][2]
Beginning her writing career at age 18 after relocating from mainland China to Taiwan with her family in 1949, she authored over 60 novels featuring intense emotional narratives of love, often marked by tragedy and moral dilemmas, which sold millions and earned her substantial royalties from adaptations like the blockbuster series My Fair Princess.^[1][2][3]
Chiung Yao founded a production company to control the filming of her stories, resulting in over 50 cinematic works and extending her influence across Asia, though her melodramatic style drew criticism for promoting idealized yet unrealistic portrayals of relationships.^[4][5]
Her career included a landmark 2015 plagiarism victory against Chinese screenwriter Yu Zheng, affirming intellectual property protections in cross-strait entertainment, and later personal controversies over her husband Ping Hsin-tao's end-of-life care, which she opposed prolonging via intubation—a stance she echoed in her suicide note advocating dignified death amid health decline.^[6][7][8]

Early life and education

Childhood and family origins

Chen Zhe, who later adopted the pen name Chiung Yao, was born on April 20, 1938, in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, amid the escalating Second Sino-Japanese War, which had begun with Japan's full-scale invasion of China the previous year.^[1] Her father, Chen Zhiping, was a professor of Chinese literature, while her mother, Yuan Xinru, taught the subject at a middle school, providing an intellectual environment steeped in traditional literary traditions during Republican China's turbulent era.^[1] The family's circumstances reflected the widespread disruptions of wartime Republican China, where civilian displacements were common due to Japanese advances and Nationalist retreats, though specific details of their pre-birth relocations, such as possible origins in Beijing, remain tied to broader patterns of elite families fleeing conflict zones.^[9]Chiung Yao's early years were marked by the instability of war-torn Sichuan, a province that served as a temporary refuge for many from eastern China but faced bombings, resource shortages, and administrative chaos under Nationalist control from 1938 onward.^[2] With parents in academia, she encountered classical Chinese texts and storytelling as foundational elements of home life, fostering an affinity for romantic and dramatic narratives amid the era's hardships, including family separations and economic strains typical of urban intellectual households in wartime interiors.^[10] She had at least two siblings born in China, though both predeceased their father, underscoring the high child mortality rates in pre-1949China exacerbated by war, malnutrition, and disease.^[11] These formative experiences in a literate yet precarious family setting shaped her worldview before the 1949 relocation, emphasizing resilience and emotional depth over material stability.^[12]

Relocation to Taiwan and schooling

In 1949, at the age of 11, Chiung Yao's family fled mainland China for Taiwan following the victory of the Chinese Communist Party in the civil war, which led to the establishment of the People's Republic of China and the retreat of the Nationalist government across the Taiwan Strait.^[2][13] The relocation occurred amid widespread displacement of millions of refugees, including intellectuals and officials, who contended with resource shortages, housing instability, and cultural dislocation in the initial years of Taiwan's postwar reconstruction under martial law.^[12] Her family settled in Taipei, where the abrupt severance from Sichuan's mainland roots—marked by wartime migrations and familial separation—instilled early experiences of upheaval that echoed in her later depictions of emotional exile and reconnection.^[1]Upon arriving, Chiung Yao continued her education in Taiwan's public school system, first attending the Affiliated Experimental Elementary School of the University of Taipei (formerly Taipei Normal School), from which she graduated in 1950.^[14] She then enrolled in Taipei Municipal Zhongshan Girls' High School (also known as Taipei Second Girls' High School), completing her secondary education around 1954 without advancing to university.^[15][16] During this period, amid the rigors of adapting to a new society, she cultivated an independent interest in writing, often composing stories outside formal curricula, which honed her self-directed literary skills before her professional debut.^[13] This phase of formal schooling, rather than higher academia, allowed unstructured time for creative exploration, causally linking the instability of refugee life to her emergent focus on introspective, sentiment-driven expression.

Literary career

Debut novels and breakthrough

Chiung Yao published her debut novel Outside the Window (Chuangwai) in 1963 through Crown Publishing House, following its serialization in Crown Magazine.

I want to take charge of this last great event."^[8] She described her decision as departing "gracefully" like a snowflake, amid chronic pain and physical deterioration from aging-related illnesses that had persisted for years, emphasizing a refusal to become dependent on others or endure repeated hospitalizations.^[68] This stance echoed first-principles notions of self-determination evident in her literary oeuvre, where protagonists frequently assert control over romantic and existential fates, contrasting with her perception of real-world elderly care limitations that exacerbate isolation and suffering.^[69]Chiung Yao's stated motivations centered on preserving dignity and agency, declaring her life as "brilliant" and "sufficient," with no unresolved regrets after decades of creative fulfillment, yet underscoring the body's betrayal: "When people age, they all go through a painful period of 'weakening, degeneration, illness, hospital visits, and treatment'—I don't want that."^[8] She positioned her exit not as despair but as a culmination of a self-authored existence, advising younger readers against similar choices—"Young ones, do not easily abandon life"—to distinguish her context of terminal frailty from impulsive acts.^[68] However, commentators have critiqued this portrayal as potentially romanticizing euthanasia, arguing it overlooks evidence-based interventions for geriatric depression and pain management, which data from suicide prevention studies show can mitigate such outcomes in over 90% of elderly cases when addressed holistically.^[70] Her letter's full English translation, derived from the original Chinese text released via her secretary, remains accessible online for direct verification.^[8]

Immediate aftermath and tributes

The announcement of Chiung Yao's suicide on December 4, 2024, triggered immediate shock and widespread mourning throughout the Chinese-speaking world, with social media platforms and news outlets flooded by expressions of grief from fans reminiscing about her romantic narratives.^[41][71]Celebrities associated with her adaptations, including actors Zhao Wei, Ruby Lin, and Fan Bingbing from the television series My Fair Princess, publicly paid tribute, highlighting her enduring impact on popular culture.^[72][73]In Taiwan, the Ministry of Culture responded promptly, with Minister Li Yuan conveying sincere condolences and acknowledging Chiung Yao's significant contributions to literature and the arts.^[74]Mainland Chinese media featured tributes from artists, the public, and state-affiliated sources, reflecting her cross-strait cultural resonance.^[40]Amid the predominant sorrow, select religious commentators, such as Chinese pastors, voiced reservations about her choice of death, arguing it conflicted with doctrines viewing suicide as incompatible with divine will.^[75]International and regional media, including BBC and The New York Times, provided extensive coverage within hours, underscoring her status as a pivotal figure in Chinese-language romance literature.^[2][1]

Taiwanese novelist & screenwriter Chiung Yao (Quang Yao, 瓊瑤) also known by the pen name Che Che has passed today.

One of the best selling novels in the Chinese world (Taiwan & the mainland too!), it has been a staple of romance, young women's literature, and women's interest in writing for decades.

Yao has received extensive praise and awards for her elegant, delicate prose, her clever intermixing of poetry in her work, and extensive literary allusion in her work.

These included the novels “Outside the Window”, “Fire and Rain”, “Dodder Flower”, and “Many Enchanting Nights”, as well as two collections of short stories, “Six Dreams” and “Lucky Clover”. She was an avid favorite of my grandmother too, and how she went about learning Chinese. The initial edition had a modest print run of 1,000 copies, which sold out in a few days, prompting multiple reprints and signaling early commercial viability.^[17][18]This rapid success positioned Outside the Window as a breakthrough, establishing Chiung Yao as a pioneer in the modern Chinese romance genre amid Taiwan's post-war recovery.

Yao's husband and film producing collaborator husband Ping died aged 92 after a stroke and prolonged intubation. Considered Taiwans most popular romance novelist, her works have won numerous awards, and been adapted into a number of successful films and television series. At the age of 16, she published her first novel. How could we not be moved?

A Passionate Soul Who Loved Life Deeply

In “The Peony Pavilion”, it is written: “Love comes without knowing its origin, yet it runs deep and unwavering.”

Chiung Yao was undoubtedly a person full of passion, brimming with emotion, and living life to the fullest.

She also spearheaded the production of co-created TV dramas between Taiwan and the mainland, showcasing breathtaking cultural landmarks and natural landscapes, deeply resonating with audiences worldwide.

A sensitive and keen observer, Chiung Yao masterfully combined Chinese classical and Western literature. After graduation from high school and failure to enter college, she got married and became a housewife, and at the same time started her writing career.

Her early writings authentically depicted youthful struggles, her mid-career works were imbued with dreamy romanticism, and her later pieces showcased rich classical Chinese impressions. In an open letter and Facebook post, she expressed admiration for Han, portraying his success as a bulwark for traditional moral and familial values against encroaching progressive influences in Taiwanese society.^[39]Her endorsement extended into Han's 2019 nomination and subsequent 2020 presidential campaign as the Kuomintang candidate, where she leveraged her influence over a dedicated fanbase—largely older readers drawn to her depictions of heterosexual romance, marital fidelity, and generational harmony—to rally conservative support.

On April 28, a team led by Wang Jun from Beijing-based Yingke Law Firm filed a plagiarism lawsuit against Yu.

On 5 December, Beijing Third Intermediate People's Court convened the case. On December 12, 109 Chinese screenwriters published a joint statement supporting Chiung Yao's lawsuit against Yu Zheng. I do not want to leave it to fate, nor do I want to wither and decay slowly.