A recent oration gathers lovers of literature, who discuss the works of author Su Xuelin and her celebrated works Written at Random: Island Residence and Two Days in Laoshan. [Photo/WeChat account: qdweishinan]

In the summer of 1935, the famous female author and scholar Su Xuelin (1897-1999) visited Qingdao in East China's Shandong province for a month with her husband. During the trip, she not only toured the stunning attractions of the coastal city – especially its streets and gardens – but also wrote roughly 60,000 words of notes which became the work Written at Random: Island Residence and Two Days in Laoshan.

A public recitation entitled "Reading Masterpiece · Taste of Shinan" – held on Nov 29 in the Shinan district of Qingdao – celebrated Su's masterpiece depicting the city.

"Su Xuelin, who was one of the five famous female writers in the 1930s, dedicated her most delicate, gentle and beautiful prose to Qingdao," said Wang Yong, curator of the Museum of the Rickshaw Boy. 

The works of Su Xuelin are said to clearly express her thoughts on art and literature. In them, she is said to emphasize the concept that literature should play the role of publicizing the progress of society and encouraging the people.

Her master works include the novels A Brief Comment on a Thorny Heart and The Heavenly Steed Collection.