Born on December 10, 1949, in Beiping Village, Erlin Township, Changhua County, to a poor family of multi-generational farmers, Hung Sing-fu was originally named Hung Ma-tsung (洪媽從). At age 18, his first short story, "The Inn" (逆旅), was published in the Taiwan Daily, marking the beginning of his literary journey. On July 31, 1982, while returning home during the passage of Typhoon Andy, he tragically died in a car accident at the age of 33, ending a brief but brilliant creative career.
By day, he taught at Shenkang Township's Shekou Elementary School; by night, he used the simplest prose to depict the hardships and resilience of rural commoners. In 1978, he published Black-faced Ching-tzu (黑面慶仔). Works such as "Black-faced Ching-tzu," "Playing in the Streets" (散戲), and "My Soil" (吾土) became his most representative Nativist writings; notably, "Playing in the Streets" won the United Daily News Fiction Award (Source: Wikipedia).
📝 Curator's Note: A son of farmers who grew up in the fields, yet spent his days teaching children and his nights bearing witness to the land—this contrast between "teaching by day and writing of rural suffering by night" is precisely what makes Hung Sing-fu so moving. He never relied on slogans, using only sincere prose to allow readers to see the endurance and integrity of Taiwan's rural communities during their industrial and commercial transition.
Hung Sing-fu originally named Hung Ma-tsung also used various pseudonyms, including Situ-men (司徒門), Ma-tsong (馬叢), Luo-ti (洛堤), and Lin-bian (林邊). He once remarked that he wanted to name himself "Hung Sing-fubsky" to emulate Dostoevsky (Source: Wikipedia). In his early years, he participated in the "Hou-lang Poetry Society," assisted with the editorial work of Taiwan Literature (台灣文藝), and served as the editor-in-chief for the Sixty-Four Years of Short Story Selection (Source: Wikipedia). From his early explorations of modernist styles to the mature period of rural realism, he used his works to document the massive transformation from rural to urban life during the 1960s and 70s.
His works "Impression of Paper Boats" (紙船印象) and "Playing in the Streets" were selected for inclusion in national junior and senior high school textbooks (Source: Wikipedia). Black-faced Ching-tzu, Urban Legends (市井傳奇), and The Villager (田莊人) have become representative chapters of Taiwan's Nativist literature. Though he lived only 33 years, he left behind the most authentic portrait of the island's rural life.
Hung Sing-fu's story reminds us that many classics of Taiwan literature often emerge from the most ordinary corners of the countryside. A young teacher who lived only 33 years used a mere 15 years of creation to leave behind this island's most authentic rural portrait. Today, as we walk through the fields of Erlin, listen to the stories of rural elders, or read those familiar village characters in textbooks, the warmth and strength found in Hung Sing-fu's writing continue to shine quietly in the hearts of every Taiwanese person.
References
- Wikipedia - Hung Sing-fu
- Nativist Writer Hung Sing-fu (Complete Biography and Bibliography)
- Taiwan Literature Garden — Hung Sing-fu: The Fallen Superstar of the Literary World
- Educational Encyclopedia - Hung Sing-fu
- Changhua Literary Figure Hung Sing-fu (National Digital Memory)
- Witness to an Era — Hung Sing-fu