Xia Yan is China’s great master of art and literature. He was born in Hangzhou. In 1915, Xia entered Zhejiang Industrial School, Zhejiang University’s technical school. Amongst the dozens of plays and screenplays penned by Xia Yan, the most renowned works include “Under the Eaves of Shanghai” (1937) and “The Fascist Bacillus” (1944). He rose to the position of vice-minister for culture in the 1960s but he spent eight years in prison following Cultural Revolution. The Xia Yan Film Literature Awards are named in his honor. Xia’s former residence is called "Ba Yong Tang”. It is now a patriotic education base.