The literary giant who vanished without trace

Mystery shrouded Yu Dafu's disappearance for 40 years, but then a Japanese academic turned sleuth unearthed the truth

Exactly 70 years ago on Aug 29 the Chinese writer Yu Dafu disappeared from his home in what is now Indonesia - the day before his daughter Yu Meilan was born - never to be seen alive again.

Yu, who was my uncle, made a name for himself during China's early New Cultural Movement (1915-23).