SHANGHAI - Cheng Naishan, a Chinese writer famous for her stories about life in Shanghai, died Monday morning in Shanghai at the age of 67.

Born in 1946, Cheng embarked on a career as a professional writer in 1983. Life and culture in Shanghai from the 1960s to the present day were the major themes that ran through her stories and novels.

She was most famous for her novel The Blue House, which offers readers a look into romance, business and family life in Shanghai both during and after the politically unstable years in China known as the cultural revolution (1966-1976).

In recent years, she wrote columns and a series of stories, including Shanghai Tango, Shanghai Lady, Shanghai Fashion and When a Baby in Born.