Culture
12:15, 18-Mar-2018
Famous writer Li Ao dies at age 83
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The famous writer and political commentator Li Ao died from brain cancer at 10:59 a.m. on Sunday, Taiwanese media has reported. He was 83.
The news has been verified by the Taipei Veterans General Hospital where Li was hospitalized.
Li Kan, son of Li Ao, jointly held a press conference with the hospital at 2 p.m. to brief the public about his father's death.
Li Kan said his father was in critical condition in the past two weeks. He said that together with his mother, they stayed by his father's side during the period.
Li Ao was checked into hospital for being unsteady on his feet in July 2015 where he was diagnosed with a brain stem tumor. He was checked into the hospital again in April 2017 for an additional four months.
In October, he was hospitalized again with pneumonia. Medical tests were carried out and it was found that his tumor had worsened.
Li Kan said that his family will deal with Li Ao's funeral in a low-profile manner.
Li Ao is survived by his wife and three children.
Li Ao married actress Terry Hu in May 1980 but their marriage lasted only 115 days in total. They had one daughter.
He then married Wang Zhihui, a Chinese teacher, in March 1992. The couple had one son and one daughter. Their son Li Kan is a well-known scholar – a PhD in Chinese Studies of Cambridge and an alumnus of Peking University.
Scholar and political critic
Li was born in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province in 1935 and was one of the most prominent essayists in East Asia. He moved to Taiwan with his parents in 1949 and got his bachelor's degree in history at the National Taiwan University in 1959.
Li, a vocal critic, was viewed by many as an important political intellectual. He actively participated in the island's democratic movements and strongly opposed the so-called "Taiwan independence."
In the 1990s, when the TV industry was soaring in the island, Li teamed up with multiple TV stations to voice his opinions.
He published more than 100 books during his career, including novels, essays, historical commentaries and biographies.
In September 2005, Li returned to the Chinese mainland for the first time in 56 years and embarked on a cultural journey. He was invited to give speeches at the Peking University, Tsinghua University and Fudan University where he was warmly received by students.