The Chinese metals trader with a knack for poetry
Ma Tinghua enjoys his day job of selling rare earths, but says his true passion lies in writing poetry
MA TINGHUA has been selling rare earths, used in products such as mobile phones and electric cars, for 15 years and now manages one of China’s leading producers of the metals, but his passion for poetry, starting with a few verses written in high school, is ever growing. Ahead of the publication of his fourth poetry collection, 39-year-old Ma, whose pen name is Dark Horse, spoke to FRANK TANG about pursuing his dream to become a great poet in an increasingly materialistic China.
When did you first get interested in poetry?
My passion for poetry started in childhood. I grew up in rural areas of Xuzhou in eastern China’s Jiangsu province and was mainly influenced by traditional Chinese poems, proverbs and ballads.
When did you start writing poetry?
My first poem was written in high school. It was composed of short sentences passed to a girl I liked in class. I believe that was my purest and most creative piece. Later, with the recommendation of my professor in college, a poem of mine was published in the Tongshan Daily, a local newspaper. Many more were then disseminated through a campus magazine and a local TV station. I’ve already published three poetry collections, including Big Wind, A Portrait of North Jiangsu and Looking for Absent Recluses, while another will be published in two months’ time.
Why do you choose to be a rare earth trader rather than a full-time poet?