Ancient Chinese Who Left Their Marks on History

作品简介

To understand a country is to understand its people. In this book, we will take you on a tour through the long history of China to recall the life story of 88 important figures who left their personal marks in philosophy, art and literature, religion, science and technology and political movements.

ZHANG Ciyun (Peter) born in Shanghai in 1949, graduated from Jilin Normal University, PRC with a major in English and later from Stanford University in the United States with a Master’s Degree in Journalism. Since 1980, he has had extensive experience working in different news agencies in the PRC. Also, he worked in the General Office of the Ministry of Communications as an interpreter and the Information Office of Shanghai Municipality as its Deputy General Director.

作品目录

• Introduction
• 老子 (Lǎo Zǐ circa 580 – 470 BC) A legendary philosopher
• 孔子 (Kǒng Zǐ 551 – 479 BC) The greatest thinker
• 墨子 (Mò Zǐ 468 – 376 BC) Pacifist thinker and inventor
• 孟子 (Mèng Zǐ 372 – 289 BC) Principal interpreter of Confucianism
• 庄子 (Zhuāng Zǐ circa 369 – 286 BC) Freewheeling Taoist
• 荀子 (Xún Zǐ circa 313 – 238 BC) ‘All humans are born evil’
• 韩非 (Hán Fēi circa 280 – 233 BC) Sage of ‘rule by fear’
• 王充 (Wáng Chōng 27–circa 99 AD) An iconoclastic thinker
• 朱熹 (Zhū Xǐ 1130 – 1200) Foremost Neo-Confucian thinker
• 黄宗羲 (Huáng Zōngxī 1610 – 1695) The Chinese Rousseau
• 王夫之 (Wáng Fūzhī 1619 – 1692) Enlightenment thinker
• 屈原 (Qū Yuán circa 340 – 278 BC) A great patriotic poet
• 司马相如 (Sīmǎ Xiàngrú circa 179 – 118 BC) The poet who eloped
• 司马迁 (Sī Mǎqiān circa 145 – 90 BC) Historiography father
• 曹植 (Cáo Zhí 192 – 232 AD) The poetical prodigy
• 王勃 (Wáng Bó 649 – 676 AD) Brief life, lasting fame
• 陈子昂 (Chén Zǐ’áng 661 – 702 AD) Tang poetry’s pioneer
• 李白 (Lǐ Bái 701 – 762 AD) The ‘God of Poetry’
• 杜甫 (Dù Fǔ 712 – 770 AD) Suffering poetry saint
• 苏轼 (Sū Shì 1037 – 1011) A rare, versatile scholar
• 李清照 (Lǐ Qīngzhào 1084 – 1151) Ci’s finest female poet
• 陆游 (Lù Yóu 1125 – 1210) The patriot of poetry
• 辛弃疾 (Xīn Qìjī 1140 – 1207) Lyric poet and patriot
• 关汉卿 (Guān Hànqīng 1225 – 1302) China’s own Shakespeare
• 施耐庵 (Shī Nài’ān 1296 – 1370) Author steeped in mystery
• 吴承恩 (Wú Chéng’ēn circa 1501 – 1582) Man behind Monkey King
• 曹雪芹 (Cáo Xuěqín circa 1715 – 1763 or 1764) The author of a great classic
• 玄奘 (Xuánzàng circa 602 – 664 AD) A great Buddhist monk
• 惠能 (Huìnéng 638 – 713 AD) Rustic patriarch
• 鲁班 (Lǔ Bān circa 507 – 444 BC) Legendary master carpenter
• 孙武 (Sūn Wǔ circa 535 – 480 BC) Winning ways of ancient strategist
• 扁鹊 (Biǎn Què circa 407 – 310 BC) The first physician in China
• 蔡伦 (Cài Lún circa 61 – 121 AD) Paper trail leads to eunuch Cai
• 张衡 (Zhāng Héng 78 – 139 AD) Inventor of the seismometer
• 张仲景 (Zhāng Zhōngjǐng circa 150 – 219 AD) Plague prompts doctor’s work
• 华佗 (Huá Tuó circa 145 – 208 AD) A pioneering Chinese surgeon
• 祖冲之 (Zǔ Chōngzhī 429 – 500 AD) An early Chinese star of astronomy
• 贾思勰 (Jiǎ Sīxié end of 5th century–mid-6th century) Scribe of guide to farming
• 郦道元 (Lì Dàoyuán circa 470 – 527 AD) Water writer plumbs new depths
• 孙思邈 (Sūn Sīmiǎo circa 581 – 682 AD) The ‘King of Medicine’
• 毕昇 (Bì Shēng 970 – 1051) Inventor of the world’s first movable type technology
• 沈括 (Shěn Kuò 1031 – 1095) China’s great scientific mind
• 黄道婆 (Huáng Dàopó circa 1245 – 1330) Granny’s great innovations
• 李时珍 (Lǐ Shízhēn 1518 – 1593) Saint of medicine and scribe of herbs
• 徐光启 (Xú Guāngqǐ 1562 – 1633) City’s son introduces European science
• 詹天佑 (Zhān Tiānyòu 1861 – 1919) Father of China’s railways
• 王羲之 (Wáng Xīzhī 303 – 361 AD) Sage of Chinese calligraphy
• 顾恺之 (Gù Kǎizhī 348 – 409 AD) Originator of Chinese painting
• 吴道子 (Wú Dàozǐ 680 – 759 AD) Painter’s death a tall tale
• 郑燮 (Zhèng Xiè 1693 – 1765) An eccentric painter who’s ‘occasionally muddle-headed’
• 管仲 (Guǎn Zhòng circa 720 – 645 BC) Leading reformer
• 项羽 (Xiàng Yǔ 232 – 202 BC) A prideful, tragic hero
• 王昭君 (Wáng Zhāojūn circa 52 – 20 BC) A beautiful lady helps keep peace
• 商鞅 (Shāng Yāng 390 – 338 BC) A great statesman and political reformer
• 陈胜 (Chén Shèng ? – 208 BC) Leader of first peasant rebellion
• 诸葛亮 (Zhūgě Liàng 181 – 234 AD) A godlike prophet
• 关羽 (Guān Yǔ 160 – 219 AD) Lord Guan revered for his bravery
• 魏征 (Wèi Zhēng 580 – 643 AD) Candid official earns great respect
• 鉴真 (Jiànzhēn 687 – 763 AD) Monk spreads the word in Japan
• 包拯 (Bāo Zhěng 999 – 1062) Iconic official who’s incorruptible
• 王安石 (Wáng Ānshí 1021 – 1068) Statesman with a gift for writin
• 岳飞 (Yuè Fēi 1103 – 1142) A peerless general and national hero
• 文天祥 (Wén Tiānxiáng 1236 – 1283) Hero stays loyal to the bitter end
• 郑和 (Zhèng Hé 1371 – 1433) Did the admiral discover the New World?
• 海瑞 (Hǎi Ruì 1514 – 1587) Moral official dares to criticize emperor
• 戚继光 (Qī Jìguāng 1528 – 1588) ‘Tiger General’ stops Japanese pirates
• 徐霞客 (Xú Xiákè 1586 – 1641) Intrepid explorer keeps a meticulous diary
• 郑成功 (Zhèng Chénggōng 1624 – 1662) A national hero who recaptures Taiwan
• 李自成 (Lǐ Zìchéng 1606 – 1645) Shortsighted military genius
• 林则徐 (Lín Zéxú 1785 – 1850) Patriotic official fights the opium trade
• 龚自珍 (Gōng Zìzhēn 1792 – 1841) A reform-minded official and poet
• 李鸿章 (Lǐ Hóngzhāng 1823 – 1901) Powerful official invites controversy
• 严复 (Yán Fù 1854 – 1921) Educator pushes for modernization
• 康有为 (Kāng Yǒuwéi 1858 – 1927) Reformer tries to change China
• 蔡元培 (Cài Yuánpéi 1868 – 1940) Educator supports civil rights movement
• 陶行知 (Táo Xíngzhī 1891 – 1946) A great educator and reformer
• 黄帝 (The Yellow Emperor reign 2697 – 2597 BC) Father of this great civilization
• 大禹 (Dà Yǔ circa ? – 2062 BC) Taming the long and wild rivers of China
• 秦始皇 (Qín Shǐ Huáng 259 – 210 BC) The ‘First Emperor’ of China
• 刘邦 (Liú Bāng 256 – 195 BC) Founder of the powerful Han Dynasty
• 汉武帝 (Emperor Wu of Han 156 – 87 BC) Insatiable ambition for territorial expansion
• 曹操 (Cáo Cāo 155 – 220 AD) Speak of his name and he arrives
• 李世民 (Lǐ Shìmín 599 – 649 AD) Creator of a dynastic golden age
• 武则天 (Wǔ Zétiān 624 – 705 AD) The only empress regnant in China’s history
• 成吉思汗 (Genghis Khan 1162 – 1227) Founder of the world’s largest empire
• 朱元璋 (Zhū Yuánzhāng 1328 – 1398) From a beggar to an emperor
• 康熙 (Emperor Kangxi 1654 – 1722) Longest reign brings prosperity
• 慈禧太后 (Empress Dowager Cixi 1835 – 1908) Mysterious ‘Queen without a Crown’