Feng Jicai, born in 1942 in Tianjin, is one of China's best-known writers. Trained as an artist and professional athlete, his life was shattered by the Cultural Revolution. As a result of those tumultuous years, he decided to embark upon a career as a professional writer. Since 1976, Feng has published two novels, three novellas, and two volumes of short stories. "The Carved Pipe", taken from a book entitled The Miraculous Pigtail, won an award in a 1977 national short story competition in China.