The Peach Blossom Spring

Xu was born in Tainan, Taiwan to a family of Chinese nationalists. After the Japanese takeover in 1895 he accompanied his father and settled down in Fujian. He also taught in a Chinese School in Myanmar. Xu was an active participant and one of the pioneers of the May Fourth Movement. He was interested in Indian literature, and liked Rabindranath Tagore's works. He would translate many of his works and become one of the very few Indian Literature experts in China during the 1930s.