Zheng Lücheng (; , 27 August 1914 – 7 December 1976) was a Korea-born Chinese composer of

Korean ethnicity Koreans ( South Korean: , , North Korean: , ; see names of Korea) are an East Asian ethnic group native to the Korean Peninsula. Koreans mainly live in the two Korean nation states: North Korea and South Korea (collectively and simply refer ...

. He is most notable for having composed the music to the Military Anthem of the People's Liberation Army, to words by

Gong Mu A gongFrom Indonesian and ms, gong; jv, ꦒꦺꦴꦁ ; zh, c=鑼, p=luó; ja, , dora; km, គង ; th, ฆ้อง ; vi, cồng chiêng; as, কাঁহ is a percussion instrument originating in East Asia and Southeast Asia. Gongs ...

(公木; real name: Zhang Yongnian; ).

Early life

Zheng was born Cheong Bu-eun (정부은, 鄭富恩) in the South Jeolla Province of what is now

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...

in either 1914 or 1918. Official records show his year of birth at 1918, but it is believed he may have concealed his age to maintain cover as an agent in Nanjing. In 1933, Zheng moved to

Nanjing Nanjing (; , Mandarin pronunciation: ), alternately romanized as Nanking, is the capital of Jiangsu province of the People's Republic of China. It is a sub-provincial city, a megacity, and the second largest city in the East China region. T ...

, China, where he became associated with the Korean-Chinese anti-Japanese invasion movement and then with the communists.

Career

In 1937, in

Yan'an Yan'an (; ), alternatively spelled as Yenan is a prefecture-level city in the Shaanbei region of Shaanxi province, China, bordering Shanxi to the east and Gansu to the west. It administers several counties, including Zhidan (formerly Bao'an ...

, Zheng composed the song which was to become the military anthem of the

People's Liberation Army The People's Liberation Army (PLA) is the principal military force of the People's Republic of China and the armed wing of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The PLA consists of five service branches: the Ground Force, Navy, Air Force, ...

. In 1945, Zheng returned to Korea or, precisely,

North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu River, Y ...

, where he worked as chief of the North Korean army's band and taught music at Pyongyang University. Zheng wrote the anthem of the Korean People's Army, Tumen River, East Sea Fisherman and other songs. After the outbreak of

Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...

, Zheng returned to China, where he composed many works including a

Chinese-language Western-style opera Chinese contemporary classical opera (Chinese: 当今古典歌剧; ''dāngjīn gŭdiăn gējù''; "contemporary classical opera") is a musical art form drawing on western opera traditions - distinct from modern developments of traditional Chinese o ...

, ''

Cloud Gazing ''Longing for Husband Cloud'' or ''Cloud Gazing'' or ''Cloud of Eternal Sorrow'' (望夫云) is a story of the Bai people. It is also the title of a 1962 Chinese-language western-style opera Chinese contemporary classical opera (Chinese: 当今� ...

'' based on a story of the

Bai people The Bai, or Pai ( Bai: Baipho, (白和); ; endonym pronounced ), are an East Asian ethnic group native to the Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture of Yunnan Province, Bijie area of Guizhou Province, and Sangzhi area of Hunan Province. They constitu ...

Personal life

Zheng's wife was China's first female

ambassador An ambassador is an official envoy, especially a high-ranking diplomat who represents a state and is usually accredited to another sovereign state or to an international organization as the resident representative of their own government or sov ...

Ding Xuesong Ding Xuesong (丁雪松; born Chongqing May 27, 1918 – May 29, 2011) was China's first female ambassador in 1979. She was ambassador to the Netherlands 1979–1981, then to Denmark and Iceland 1982–1984. She was married to Korean-born composer ...

. In 1950, when the

broke out,

Zhou Enlai Zhou Enlai (; 5 March 1898 – 8 January 1976) was a Chinese statesman and military officer who served as the first Premier of the People's Republic of China, premier of the People's Republic of China from 1 October 1949 until his death on 8 J ...

— having been petitioned by Zheng's Chinese wife, Ding Xuesong — personally wrote to

Kim Il Sung Kim Il-sung (; , ; born Kim Song-ju, ; 15 April 1912 – 8 July 1994) was a North Korean politician and the founder of North Korea, which he ruled from the country's establishment in 1948 until his death in 1994. He held the posts of ...

requesting that Zheng returns to China for work. Kim agreed; and, in 1950, Zheng obtained Chinese nationality.Zheng Lücheng: Thoroughly into Factories and the Countryside 28 Sep 2012 "Ding Xuesong, with help by a letter written by the ambassador to Chief State Councillor Zhou Enlai, asked for both her and Zheng's return to China, plus requesting a renewal "

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Zheng, Lucheng People's Republic of China composers Chinese male classical composers Chinese classical composers Chinese opera composers Chinese people of Korean descent Male opera composers 1914 births 1976 deaths Republic of China musicians Korean emigrants to China Naturalized citizens of the People's Republic of China People from South Jeolla Province 20th-century composers 20th-century Chinese musicians 20th-century male musicians Burials at Babaoshan Revolutionary Cemetery