Renowned author Hua Yen (華嚴) passed away on Dec. 10 at the age of 100. Culture Minister Lee Yung-te (李永得) expressed his condolences and stated that Hua Yen has influenced generations of Taiwanese as a prolific author and her passing is a massive loss to the literary world. In remembrance of her dedication, the MOC will apply for a posthumous presidential citation.
According to the MOC, Hua Yen has made outstanding literary achievements. In addition to inventing her own genre, Hua Yen's works also reflect humanistic care and religious philosophy. She has won medals from the Chinese Writers' and Artists' Association (中國文藝協會) and many other prizes. The script of her 2011 work is now a part of the National Museum of Taiwan Literature’s collection.
Hua Yen, born Yen Ting-yun (嚴停雲), was born in Fujian Province in China in 1922. She was the granddaughter of Yan Fu (嚴復), a well-known scholar in the late Qing dynasty. Hua Yen, who was raised with a religious upbringing and influenced by Buddhist sutras and books, came to Taiwan during the Chinese Civil War and married Yeh Ming-hsun (葉明勳), a veteran in journalism in 1949. Since publishing her first novel "Wisdom Light (智慧的燈)" in 1961, Hua Yen has continued to deliver literary works for the next 40 years.
A large portion of Hua Yen's works are novels, others are a small amount of prose. Many of her novels were adapted for television dramas and "The Diary of Didi (蒂蒂日記) was best known for winning multiple awards at the 15th edition of Golden Horse Awards. Other adapted works including "Flowers Blossom and Fade (花落花開)" and "Yen Shuang Fei (燕雙飛)" also garnered much attention in Taiwan's literary circles.