San Mao is born in Chongqing, Sichuan Province on March 26th. Her father’s family came from Dinghai in Zhejiang Province. She is the second of four siblings with one older sister and two younger brothers. In an era of war and upheaval, San Mao was given the hope-filled birth name of Mao-ping (Peace Conferred), which combined the familial character Mao and the character Ping, meaning peace. The difficulties she had writing the intricate first character, however, encouraged San Mao to drop it from her name soon after starting school. Ping’s father subsequently followed her lead and struck the familial Mao from her brother’s names as well.

San Mao moves from China’s wartime capital of Chongqing to Nanjing. They live together with her uncle’s family in a western-style villa at Number 4 Guloutoutiao Alley. It was here that she reads her first book – the illustrated story, The Travels of San Mao (三毛流浪記).

The entire family crosses over to Taiwan by ferry in the dead of winter. They establish their new residence in the old downtown Taipei district of Zhucuolun (朱厝崙).

San Mao discovers her passion for reading early on as a student at Chung-Cheng Elementary School. She read voraciously and even snuck a copy of the risqué Chinese classic Dream of the Red Chambers during the fifth grade. Later on, she recalled experiencing a literary epiphany when she read the eloquent passage describing the parting of protagonist Bao Yu and his father. Literary aesthetics became her passion and her life’s work.

San Mao enters Taipei’s top girls’ high school. Her parents arrange extracurricular courses in classical poetry and literature and English. She is tutored in art by accomplished oil painter Ku Fu-sheng and pen-and-ink artist Shao Yu-shuan.

At Ku Fu-sheng’s introduction, San Mao publishes her first work Delusions (惑) in issue 15 of “Modern Literature” edited by Pai Hsien-yung. It marks the beginning of her literary career.

San Mao publishes her short story Moon River (月河) in the journal “Coronet” (Issue 6, Volume 19).

San Mao is invited by Chinese Cultural University founder Chang Chi-yun to attend CCU as a non-degree student in the philosophy department. Her academic performance while at CCU is exceptional.

San Mao leaves Taiwan to study in Madrid University’s School of Philosophy, where she meets Jose Maria Quero Y Ruiz. After completing her studies, she transfers to the Goethe Institute in Germany where she earns a German language teaching certificate in only nine months. She then travels to the United States where she finds work for a period in the University of Illinois’ Law Library.

San Mao accepts Chang Chi-yun’s invitation to teach in the German and Philosophy departments at the Chinese Cultural University.

San Mao’s German fiancé dies. Grief stricken, she leaves Taiwan once again. She reconnects with Jose in Spain.

San Mao and Jose decide to get married and in April the couple pack their bags and travel to the Sahara Desert.

San Mao and Jose register their marriage at a magistrate’s office in the Spanish Sahara (today’s Western Sahara).While life in the desert could be difficult, it was liberating for San Mo who began writing again. Her first piece, entitled China Hotel, was published in the United Daily New's supplement on October 6th. Praised personally by UDN's editor-in-chief Ping Hsin-tao, the submission marked the beginning of a rich stream of new literary output from San Mao.

San Mao completes her first literary compilation, Stories of the Sahara. The couple moves to Tenerife in the Canary Islands.

Jose dies in a diving accident. San Mao returns to Taiwan accompanied by her parents.

San Mao decides to end her 14-year sojourn abroad and settle permanently in Taiwan. In November, she accepts a contract from the United Daily News to make a half-year tour of Latin America and, afterwards, write a book and do a lecture series on her experiences.

San Mao accepts an assistant professor position in creative arts in the Chinese Cultural University’s Chinese Language Department where she teaches courses on story and prose writing. Her classes are well received.

San Mao stops teaching at the Chinese Cultural University for health reasons and reorients her focus toward writing and speaking.

San Mao makes her first return visit to China in April and sees her favorite uncle Ni Zhuqing. She makes a special trip to Shanghai to see The Travels of San Mao author Zhang Leping. This memorable trip fulfilled longstanding desires.

San Mao writes her first and only movie script, filmed and released under the title Red Dust. The movie, directed by Ho Yim and starring Chin Han, Brigitte Lin, and Maggie Cheung, went on to earn several Golden Horse film awards.

San Mao dies in the early morning of January 4th. She was 48 years old.