Moruo

Moruo, commonly known as Guo Moruo (郭沫若; 1892–1978), was a Chinese writer, poet, historian, archaeologist and politician. He was one of the most influential figures in 20th-century Chinese literature and a key participant in the May Fourth Movement that modernized Chinese literary forms. He helped shape poetic practice by blending classical Chinese aesthetics with modern social concerns, and he wrote plays, criticism and translations as well as poetry.

In historical and archaeological scholarship, Moruo contributed to studies of early Chinese history, including the oracle bone inscriptions and the Shang dynasty, reflecting his interest in connecting literature to material culture. His scholarly work is often cited for its breadth and its role in promoting Chinese philology and archaeology.

In public life, Moruo aligned with the Chinese Communist Party after 1949 and held various leadership roles within cultural and academic institutions in the People's Republic of China. He served in government and party advisory bodies, helping to shape cultural policy and literary institutions in the early PRC. His career embodies the intertwining of literary creation, scholarly inquiry and state cultural projects in mid-20th-century China.

Moruo’s legacy is debated: he is credited with expanding Chinese literary expression and historical scholarship, while his political entanglements reflect the era’s pressures on writers and scholars. He remains a central reference point for discussions of modern Chinese literature, archaeology and the study of ancient China.