Xu Zhimo

Who was Xu Zhimo?

Xu Zhimo was an early 20th-century Chinese poet. He was given the name of Zhangxu and the courtesy name of Yousen. He later changed his courtesy name to Zhimo.

One of the most renowned romantic poets of 20th-century Chinese literature, he is known for his promotion of modern Chinese poetry, and has made tremendous contributions to modern Chinese literature.

To commemorate Xu Zhimo, in July 2008, a stone of white Beijing marble was installed at the Backs of King's College, Cambridge; on it are inscribed the first two and last two lines from Xu's best-known poem.