Chinese novelist and short-story writer.

Zhao's familiarity with rural life in North China and his fascination with folk literature and art determined the substance and style of his later writings. After attending a teachers college, he taught in primary schools. To supplement his earnings he began writing short stories for local newspapers. A zealous promoter of folk literature and art, he wrote a considerable number of rhythmic talks, minitales, and sketches. He made his name by his short stories “Hsiao Erh-hei chieh-hun” (1943; “Little Blacky's Wedding”) and “Li Yu-ts'ai pan-hua” (1943; “The Rhymes of Li Yu-ts'ai”). They were followed in 1946 by the novel Li-chia-chuang te pien-ch'ien (“The Changes in Li Village”) and the stories “Fu-kuei” (“Lucky”), “Ti-pan” (“Land”), and “Tsui-liang-ch'ai” (“The Tax Collector”). His works were widely read and his native humour and grace appreciated by even the barely literate. After 1949 he continued to write prose and edited two magazines. His novel San-li-wan was published in 1955. His style remained easy, plain, and graceful. He was the recognized leading writer of the “Shan-yao-tan (Potato) School.” He was denounced during the Cultural Revolution (1966–76). His best-known works have been translated into English, Russian, and Japanese, and his collected works were published in the 1980s.