Liu was born in Nan'an, Quanzhou, Fujian, in what was then the Republic of China during the Second World War. Siding with the Communists, Liu took particular interest in Marxist literature, but put his own morals and messages behind the pieces, rather than those given by the party.[2][3]
Liu Zaifu graduated from Xiamen University in 1963 with a degree in Chinese literature. After his graduation, he became the editor-in-chief of Wenxue Pinglun (Literary Review), a Chinese periodical discussing literary works.[2]
During the Cultural Revolution, Liu was placed under house arrest for his personal views of Marxist belief and doctrine not matching those of the party.[4] He was given protection by future President Hu Jintao.[5]
Towards the end of the Cultural Revolution, Liu traveled abroad, going to Taiwan, Hong Kong, and the United States among other places, which would end up influencing his works, along with spreading his literature abroad outside of China.[6]
^ abc"Liu Zaifu". Academic Dictionaries and Encyclopedias. Retrieved 2018-05-30.
^Kang, Liu (2000). Aesthetics and Marxism: Chinese Aesthetic Marxists and Their Western Contemporaries. Durham, North Carolina: Duke University Press. pp. 188–214. ISBN0-8223-2448-2.
^Lee, Mabel (1996). Walking Out Of Other People's Prisons: Liu Zaifu And Gao Xingjian On Chinese Literature In The 1990s. Sydney, Australia: University of Sydney - Asian and African Studies.
^Ruiza, M., Fernández, T., Tamaro, E. (2004). Hu Jintao.