Schnee fällt auf Chinas Erde

Selected poems of the influential Chinese poet Ai Qing, father of the world-renowned artist Ai Weiwei. Ai Qing's poems are part of the canon of Chinese poetry and have significantly shaped the modern poetry of the country. They depict a nation in transition, spanning the last hundred years—from the end of the imperial era through the founding of the People's Republic to the Cultural Revolution—and narrate the conflict between nationalists and communists, the imperialism of the Japanese invaders, and the struggles among the ruling powers. Inspired by figures like Walt Whitman and Vladimir Mayakovsky, Ai Qing liberated Chinese poetry from rigid poetic traditions by writing in free verse. He addressed his readership directly in clear, unembellished language and vivid metaphor. In all his texts, one can sense a deep, personal passion and connection to nature, a genuine love for people, and profound empathy for the oppressed. With his moving verses, Ai Qing strikes his readers right in the heart. Ai Qing's poems are a crucial key to the work of his son Ai Weiwei. In his simultaneously published autobiography "1000 Years of Joy and Sorrow," Ai Weiwei compellingly recounts how his father's history has shaped him and his artistic creation. High-quality edition, bibliophile release. The cover design was created by Ai Weiwei's son, Ai Lao.