Shen Yinmo

Shen Yinmo (沈尹默, 1883 – June 1, 1971) was born in Wuxing, Zhejiang province. After studying in Japan he returned to China, taking part in the May Fourth Movement. Like many others (Lu Xun, Hu Shi) he published in Xin Qingnian (New Youth). He was then already a famous calligrapher (shujia) and writer (zuojia). He was professor in several universities, and later became president of Beiping University.

During the Cultural Revolution (1966–76) Shen, already in his 80s, was tortured by the young Red Guards. The Red Guards were against all non-communist forms of art and culture and declared Shen a "counter-revolutionary".