Born Gu Pan in Suzhou, China, Che Qianzi is a poet, painter, and prolific essayist in the great tradition of Chinese polymaths. Steeped in Chinese classics, unbound and irrepressible, he represents the avant-garde, experimental spirit of contemporary Chinese poetry, while channeling styles of far earlier times. Che has published over twenty volumes of poetry, essays, and art monographs, along with mounting solo exhibits of his work. He divides his residence between his hometown and Beijing.