She followed her heart

Yang Jiang will long be remembered for her witty writing and popular translations, but her independent outlook may be her greatest legacy, Yang Yang reports.

Among all the apartments in the 19 three-story buildings near Yuyuantan Park in Beijing, only one has maintained its original look, with neither interior decoration nor the balcony being enclosed with glass.

The apartment in Nanshagou Community, where the famed Chinese writer and translator Yang Jiang lived until her death on May 25 at the age of 104, is typical of her modesty. The space is almost unadorned-whitewalls, cement flooring, an old-fashioned sofa and desks worn by years of use.