臺灣文學虛擬博物館

The subjects of Hong Xingfu’s works are mainly the people, the events, and the objects in the countryside that he cares about. These works reflect the rural society and customs in the 1960s and 1970s.

Black-Faced Qingzi｜Hong Xingfu’s first collection with 10 works including After the Play, Black-Faced Qingzi, and My Soil. The book comes with “The Chronology of Hong Xingfu’s Works”. (Donated by Lin Biyun / From the National Museum of Taiwan Literature permanent collection)

“Black-Faced Qingzi” talks about the life of a crazy woman, Ali, with her father, black-faced Qingzi, in the countryside. The story begins with the scene in which Ali is in labor, and slowly presents the tragic fate of black-faced Qingzi and Ali as well as the Qingzi’s spirit of perseverance in the face of life. Hong Xingfu explained that “Black-Faced Qingzi”, in its original form, was a factual event that actually happened in the village when he was a child, and even black-faced Qingzi was real.

Black-Faced Qingzi｜Beijing: People’s Literature Publishing House, 1992.
One of the series of “Taiwan’s Contemporary Writers’ Collection” edited by Guo Feng. It collects 16 works including Hong Xingfu’s novels Uncle Ruixin, Father Master, Pig Brother Wangzi, After the Play, Black-Faced Qingzi, and Shaer’s Marriage. The book comes with “The Chronology of Hong Xingfu’s Works.” (Donated by Lin Biyun / From the National Museum of Taiwan Literature permanent collection)

The Newspaper Advertisement for the Marketing of Black-Faced Qingzi｜(Donated by Mo Yu / From the National Museum of Taiwan Literature permanent collection)

From Black-Faced Qingzi to An Impression of Field Villages - Narrator of Field Village Man · Reporting the author’s feelings and attitudes in dealing with such subjects｜Titled by the author “68.3.5 Taiwanese Deputy.” Published on March 5, 1979 in Taiwan Daily. (Donated by Lin Biyun / From the National Museum of Taiwan Literature permanent collection)

“After the Play” is about the story of the decline of “Yushan Taiwanese Opera”. The story is interspersed between the memories of the opera actors and the plot of the performance, carefully laying out and the pains and sufferings of the actors. Hong Xingfu’s ear was a transitional period when Taiwan changed itself from an agricultural society into an industrial and commercial society. The cultural impact of the clash between the new and the old is an important theme in Hong Xingfu’s works.

Hong Xingfu said: “I care about this group of people. We know that although people can be rich, poor, wise, or bad, they are all human beings in the end. All humans have emotions and desires. The actors from Peking Opera have them, and so do those from Taiwanese Opera. I am writing about the ‘life of the people’ behind the stage, not the play itself.”

Hong Xingfu won the medal for United Daily News’ Novel Award｜The work, “After the Play,” was awarded second place in the United Daily News’ Novel Award in 1978. (Donated by Lin Biyun / From the National Museum of Taiwan Literature permanent collection)

“My Soil” is a story that is sadder than sadness. The main character of the story, Ma Shuisheng, decides to sell the last remaining piece of land in the family because he had no money to pay for his parents’ medical expenses. This land was cultivated by Ma Shuisheng’s father, who dug until his hands were bleeding and risked being beaten by the police during the Japanese Colonial Period. The novel closely follows Shuisheng’s father’s emotions toward the land and agriculture, showing the resilience of farmers surviving amidst adversity. The painful ending shows the sadness of a common man who is unable to fight back when facing his fate.

Hong Xingfu won the trophy for the first News Journalism Award｜The work, “My Soil,” won the excellent novel award for the first News Journalism Award. (Donated by Lin Biyun / From the National Museum of Taiwan Literature permanent collection)

Invitation Card from China Times (News Journalism Award in 1978)｜China Times invites to participate in the News Journalism Award and the invitation card for the News Journalism Photography Award Ceremony. (Donated by Lin Biyun / From the National Museum of Taiwan Literature permanent collection)