Taiwanese poet Kuang Yun-loong (管運龍), better known by his penname Guan Guan (管管), passed away on May 1 at the age of 92. Minister of Culture Lee Yung-te (李永得) expressed his condolences and paid tribute to the poet and promoter of modern Chinese poetry.
Born in Shandong, China, in 1929, Guan Guan was a prominent figure in Taiwan's literary scene for over six decades. Before he started writing poems, he worked as a reporter and a host for military broadcasting companies in Taiwan.
Since 1949, he has published poems in several poetry magazines such as "Blue Star (藍星)" and "Epoch Poetry Society (創世紀)." He was also the editor for "Mercury Poetry," together with poet Zhang Mo (張默). In the 1970s, he was invited to attend the International Writing Workshop at University of Iowa. His works include poems, essays and scripts, and among the works published include "Collected Prose of Guan Guan (管管散文集)" and "Selected Poems of Guan Guan (管管詩選)."
Besides his literary talent, Guan Guan was also a part-time actor in film, television, and theater, appearing in more than 30 movies and TV series, and he had curated several art exhibitions. He received several awards during the course of his career, including New Poetry Award from The Modern Literature and Art Association Hong Kong and Chinese Modern Poetry Award, and his screenplay "The Legend of the Six Dynasty (六朝怪談)" was nominated for the Best Original Screenplay Award at the 17th Golden Horse Award in 1980.
Mourning the loss of Guan Guan, Minister Lee stated that the multi-talented Guan had been part of Taiwan’s literary scene for many years and he will be missed by many.