One of China's most popular hymnwriters and composers has recently passed away.
Du Peiliang - the composer of the 'New Hymns',which combine the features of the ethnic holidays of Yunnan has passed away on June 9, 2016 at the age of 72 due to lung cancer.
The hymnwriter, whose Christian name was John Du, was the third or fourth Christian in his family, according to Teacher Wang Huizhong from YTC.
Decades ago, his father came to Yunnan to evangelize from Henan, their hometown. Naturally, Du grew up in the province and studied in the Yunnan Sports College, the former of Yunnan Physical Science and Sports Professional College. After graduation, he worked in the provincial CCC&TSPM and seminary school for years.
The hymnwriter started making hymns in 1995. He published the hymn collection entitled New Hymns, combining the features of the ethnic holidays of Yunnan and the church festivals around 1998 and 1999.
His family defined that the hymnwriter usually takes into account this specific ideal: "The rich and varied hymn styles in each of Du's work highlight the abundant life of Christ."
According to the thank you letter released by the family, "He had more time to face and draw near God quietly in his last two months, as well as a lot of beautiful family days with his close kin, which brought much comfort and encourgement to his relatives."
Du had written more than 300 hymns with Yunnan's ethnic characteristics during his about-one-decade service in Yunnan Theological College (YTC).
