Liu Yichang 劉以鬯 passed away today. Peripatetic, diasporic, cosmopolitan - Liu's life and work embodied a lesser known trajectory of modern Chinese literature. Wong Kar Wai's IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE was inspired by 2 of his best known stories.
Wong Kar Wai brought Tony Leung with him to visit Liu Yichang - he wanted him not only to understand Liu's stories better, but also capture something of Liu's style in his creation of the character of Chow Mo-wan, lovelorn journalist and pulp fiction writer.
Wong Kar Wai brought Tony Leung with him to visit Liu Yichang - he wanted him not only to understand Liu's stories better, but also capture something of Liu's style in his creation of the character of Chow Mo-wan, lovelorn journalist and pulp fiction writer.
RIP Liu Yichang 劉以鬯 (1918-2018) - whose passing truly feels like the conclusion to a story arc, that of the long twentieth century of modern Chinese literature. My friend Ben Wong 黃勁輝 made a gorgeous documentary of his life. Check it out: "1918
