Letter to Xiang Yu[1]

(September 5, 1939)

How about the name Yansheng? If you deem it unsuitable, please come up with two or three names yourselves, and I will choose one for you. Due to my busy schedule, my reply is late, for which I apologize! This is in reply to Comrades Xiang and Tang, and to celebrate your child.

Mao Zedong

September 5

--- Notes

[1] On July 1, 1939, the second son of musicians Xiang Yu and Tang Rongmei was born in a cave dwelling in Yan’an. They wished to ask Mao Zedong to name the child, but considering how busy Mao was, they found it hard to broach the subject. On August 18, the child’s uncle Ke Lan, then a student at the Lu Xun Academy of Literature, learned of this and volunteered, tearing a page from his exercise book to write a letter to Mao Zedong. The letter read: “Our child—a boy—was born on July 1. Because he happened to enter this great era on this great day, we all hope to have the honor of you giving him a name…” Eighteen days later, they received a letter from Mao Zedong. On the Chinese-style envelope was written vertically: “To Comrade Xiang Yu, Lu Xun Academy of Literature and Art Research Institute.” Upon opening it, they found that Mao had written his instruction directly on their original letter.