Leading Chinese writers and literature critics poured out their emotions over the death of Ba Jin.

Wang Meng, a famous writer and former minister of culture, likened Ba Jin's passing to the fall of a great star.

"He impressed me, as he always did, with his sincerity, dedication and passion," Wang said.

Ba Jin attached great importance to the role of literature in society, Wang said. His "Random Thoughts" has exerted influence not only on modern literature but on ethics as well.

Yu Hua, known for his novels such as "To Live," said "Family" was the first Ba Jin novel he read, and the story influenced him tremendously.

"In life, he was very gentle, but people can feel his strength and power from his works," Yu said. "It is really comforting that Ba Jin completed his life's novels before he left the world."

Wen Rumin, dean of the Department of Chinese at Peking University, said that Ba Jin's strong belief in life and ideals, his plain narrative style, his enthusiasm for writing and his strong sense of responsibility make him "an irreplaceable and unique writer in the Chinese history of literature."

Wen Jieruo, wife of the late Chinese writer Xiao Qian, said Ba Jin always told his friends that he was not a writer.

"To me, Ba Jin was not only a writer but also a social reformist, a thinker," Wen said. "He used his pen to express his frustration with society then and convey his fine idealism."

He Shaojun, a renowned literary critic and professor of literature at Shenyang Normal University, said Ba Jin's works were successful not only in terms of their social importance, but also literary significance.

"Ba Jin's grand status in the history of Chinese literature is widely recognized," Professor He said.

The May Fourth Movement, a political and cultural movement against imperialism and feudalism that broke out in Beijing in 1919, filled Ba Jin with democratic ideals.

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