Pei Xu

Xu Pei (born 1966) is a Chinese-born German poet, writer, and human rights activist. Born in Sichuan, she left China in 1988 and studied in Germany. Xu became a German citizen in 2004, and lives in Cologne, Germany. Life Xu Pei was born on 22 March 1966 in Kangding City, the seat of the Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in the Sichuan of Southwest China. Xu has three older brothers and one younger brother. In her childhood, Xu was sent to foster care in Chengdu. When she was 8 years old, her parents were transferred to work in Ya'an and Xu was taken back to her parents. In 1983, Xu was admitted to the German Department at Sichuan International Studies University and graduated in 1987. Xu later worked in Leshan as a tour guide for German visitor groups. Xu came to Germany at the end of 1988 and studied German philology and philosophy at the Heinrich Heine University in Düsseldorf, obtaining a PhD in 1996.