Wang Sheng-hong
Wang Sheng-hong is a Taiwanese writer.
Biography
Wang was born in Hemei village in Changhua County, Taiwan in 1970, growing up in a farming family with an illiterate mother and a father who only received basic education. Though his parents did not excel at explaining the world, their actions served as a model for honesty, warmth and kindness. As a youth, Wang enjoyed reading the works of Qi Jun and Yukio Mishima, and exchanged letters with the former for twenty years, discussing the giving and receiving among family and friends, as well as their shared love for various other topics. Meanwhile, the author Yukio sparked his interest in passion, immorality, and life and death.Wang graduated from Darong Elementary School, Hemei Middle School, Changhua High School, the Mass Communications Department of Fu Jen Catholic University, and the Graduate School of Taiwanese Culture of the National Taipei University of Education. He has worked for a long time in media services, and was once awarded as an editor for newspaper supplements.
Wang moved north in 1988, keeping his roots firmly in the farm while exploring new possibilities in the city. Although he sought shelter in this new place, yet kept his home close to his heart. After finishing his mandatory military service in 1995, Wang worked in Taipei, where he felt like a seed that fell far from his tree, yet once he landed in this new fertile land, he gained confidence in himself and put down firm roots. In 2001 he packed up and traveled alone to England, France and Spain for almost three months, greatly expanding his worldview. In London’s Chelsea Physic Garden he discovered a Spanish pineapple hanging from dead wood, with no roots to nourish it, surviving on nothing but the moisture in the air. This inspired Wang, who then decided he wanted to become a true citizen of the world.
Works
Although interested in literature, art, gardening, and observing every facet of society, Wang also takes pleasure in traveling and exploring the mysteries of nature. After returning to Taiwan, Wang wrote Walk Carefully based on his travels, the first in his Triangular Prism trilogy. The book was widely acclaimed by scholars and readers alike, with Nan Fang-shuo stating, “I will not be miserly in recommending this book, as that would be simply impossible for me to do!”Triangular Prism is like a series of concentric circles moving inward toward a core, describing Wang’s experiences and thoughts during his trip to Europe, his sentiments and history in Taipei, and his childhood before leaving far from home at the age of 18. In Keyword: Taipei, the second book of the trilogy, Wang takes us to the 228 Peace Park, Jianguo Flower Market, Yangming Mountain, Yongkang Street, Dehui Street, Guling Street, Waishuang Creek, Danshui, Pingxi, and various night markets and gyms, drawing up a series of literary landmarks and woven stories.