The Misty Poets (Chinese: 朦胧诗人; pinyin: Ménglóng Shīrén) were a group of Chinese poets from the 20th century who opposed the limits placed on art during the Cultural Revolution. Their poetry was officially criticized as "hard to understand" or "foggy." However, poet Gu Cheng explained that the main feature of their work is its realism, which begins with observing the world clearly and then shifts to expressing personal feelings. The movement started with a magazine called Jintian, created by Bei Dao and Mang Ke. It was published from 1978 to 1980 but was later banned.

Guo Lusheng was one of the first poets from the group of young people sent to live in rural areas. He inspired many of the original Misty Poets. Five important poets—Bei Dao, Gu Cheng, Shu Ting, He Dong, and Yang Lian—were sent away from China after the Tiananmen Square protests in 1989. The magazine Jintian was restarted in Sweden in 1990 to support Chinese writers living outside China.

The poetry of the Misty Poets greatly influenced the songs written by China’s first rock musicians, especially Cui Jian.

History

During the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976), Mao Zedong set rules for literature and art in China. These rules encouraged writers and artists to create works that would teach people about revolutionary values. All art was expected to have a political message, and art for its own sake was not allowed. Poetry from this time was often simple and followed these rules, as shown in examples.

After the Cultural Revolution ended, many people in China were sent to live in the countryside under the slogan "Up to the mountains and down to the countryside" (Chinese: 上山下乡 shàngshānxiàxiāng). Many of these people felt unhappy and disappointed, and the time was later called the "Ten Lost Years." Although publishing art and literature was not allowed during this time, many poems were shared secretly.

Gu Cheng (Chinese: 顾城 Gu Cheng) began writing poems while living in a pigsty. Bei Dao (Chinese: 北岛) wrote his first plays after finishing work each day. After Mao Zedong died and the Gang of Four was arrested, rules about culture became less strict. A magazine called Jintian provided a space for people to share their thoughts and poems. The first issue included a famous poem called "The Answer" (Chinese: 回答 Huida), which became a key example of a style of poetry known as "misty poetry." A line from the poem, "I do not believe" (Chinese: 我不相信 wǒ bù Xiangxin), became widely known. The publication of more "Menglong" poems led to a long debate about individual freedom and the responsibilities of writers to society, the government, and the Communist Party.

This movement influenced Uyghur poets like Ahmatjan Osman, who was a leader of the gungga (hazy, vague, or uncertain) movement in the 1980s. This movement had lasting effects on Uyghur poetry, including the use of free verse.