Yan Zhen: key obituary facts
Is Yan Zhen dead? Yes. Yan Zhen died on November 7, 2026, at age 96.
Cause of death: Yan Zhen's cause of death has not been publicly confirmed.
What was Yan Zhen known for?
He was a Chinese poet, painter, and calligrapher (born 1930).
More about Yan Zhen
Born: 1930.
Gender: male.
Occupation: children's writer, poet, painter.
Nationality: People's Republic of China.
Yan Zhen, a Chinese poet, painter and calligrapher known chiefly for his writing, died November 7, 2026, aged 96.
Born in 1930 in Laiyang, Shandong province, he spent much of his childhood in a small village with his family; his father was a primary-school teacher. At 13, Yan left home to join revolutionary forces resisting the Japanese occupation.
His literary output spanned poetry, prose and fiction, and he published more than 30 works. His career also included a series of editorial and literary leadership posts: he edited Jiaodong Daily, served as deputy head of the Anhui Journal of Art and Literature, was vice editor in chief of Qing Ming, and later edited Poetry Journal. He was also a council member of the China Writers Association. During the Cultural Revolution, Red Guards denounced Yan, and he and his wife were sent to separate parts of the countryside. In 1985, he joined one of the first delegations of Chinese writers to travel abroad after the Cultural Revolution, visiting several American cities. A poet whose work was also accompanied by painting and calligraphy, Yan lived and worked in Beijing.