Bei Dao Biography | Poet

Bei Dao (simplified Chinese : ; traditional Chinese : ; pinyin : Bei Dao ; literally "Northern Island", born August 2, 1949) is the pen name of Chinese poet Zhao Zhenkai (S:, T:, P: Zhào Zhènkai ). He was born in Beijing. He chose the pen name because he came from the north and because of his preference for solitude. Bei Dao is the most notable representative of the Misty Poets, a group of Chinese poets who reacted against the restrictions of the Cultural Revolution.