Ma Ke (simplified Chinese: 马可; traditional Chinese: 馬可; pinyin: Mǎ Kě; 1918 – July 27, 1976) was a Chinese composer and musicologist, best known for his patriotic songs, including "Nanniwan". Ma was born into a Christian family, at Xuzhou, Jiangsu, and his name was said to be derived from the saint Mark. Having enjoyed chemistry in high school, he studied it at Henan University, where he encountered the composer Xian Xinghai. Ma suspended his studies and became a follower of Xian, including an anti-Japanese roadshow tour of the country. In 1939, Ma traveled to Yan'an. On Xian's recommendation, he studied at Luxun Academy of Arts with composer Lü Ji and others. He began to collect and record many Chinese folk songs. In 1947, he joined the Communist Party of China. After 1949, he was appoint