Zheng Hongsheng

Zheng Hongsheng, born in 1922, was a Chinese scholar and writer with rich life experience. His background includes serving as an instructor at the Shijiazhuang Advanced Infantry School. During his time in military education, Zheng was known for his rigor and love of books, spending long hours each night preparing lessons and reading. His family life was simple and warm; when young he lived in the same room with his family, and his father's scholarly manner had a deep influence on Zheng Yuanjie and the rest of the family.

Zheng Hongsheng’s literary contributions are mainly reflected in several privately published collections of letters and essays. For example, Zheng Yuanjie’s Family Letters (Zheng Yuanjie Jia Shu), published by Xueyuan Publishing House in August 1994, contains 59 family letters he wrote to his son Zheng Yuanjie, and covers experiences and life wisdom concerning Chinese and foreign notable figures. In December 2013, his work Zheng Laoye’s Grand View Garden and Zheng Yuanjie’s Family Letters was published by 21st Century Publishing House, further showcasing his reflections on life and educational ideas.

In addition, Zheng published several works centered on life philosophy and family memories. Chatting (Liao Tian), published by Tianjin People’s Publishing House in 2016, is a collection of short essays originally posted on Weibo that were compiled and edited; it reflects his dialogues with some 50 world-famous figures, as well as his personal life experiences and insights. In the book he advocates love of life, respect for family, and the pursuit of freedom, using his writing to express wisdom about conduct and living. Combined with his deep learning and life experience, the book has become an important representative of modern Chinese prose and essays.

Zheng Hongsheng also appeared as a guest in several short films. On June 16, 2013, he participated in the filming of a Beijing “Shuangjing Gongheyuan” short film, playing an elderly resident in a nursing home, demonstrating his interests in calligraphy and Weibo life. Prior to that, he had made cameo appearances in other film and television works. In both society and family he was seen as a figure who respected tradition and loved culture.

His descendants include the well-known children’s author Zheng Yuanjie and grandson Zheng Yaqi. Zheng Yuanjie achieved wide literary fame, and Zheng Hongsheng’s teaching and literary interests set an example of cultural inheritance for the family. Zheng Hongsheng died on February 16, 2024, at the age of 92. His life and works had a certain influence in the fields of literature and education, and he is regarded as an important figure in the transmission of knowledge and culture.