Well-known Literati

The blessed land of Nantong and its stunning natural landscapes have nurtured a long literary lineage.

Famous authors and writers of Nantong in the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127) included Wu Ji, Wang Guan, Wang Ditang and Wang Junyi.

Wang Guan was a poet of the Graceful and Restrained School. His most famous work is "Farewell to Bao Haoran Who is Heading to East Zhejiang," which is included in the Three Hundred Poems of Song Dynasty.

Famous authors and writers of Nantong in the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279) include Gao Xiyuan, Cui Dunshi, and Qian Zhongding.

The poems of Gu Pan in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) were praised for "having moral character."

During the Jiajing period (1522-1566), Gu Yangqian wrote The Complete Collection of Yiqing's Poems and Writings, which consists of 20 volumes.

In the late Ming Dynasty, Mao Xiang in Rugao wrote The Reminiscences of Tung Hsiao-wan, which is touching and is the origin of reminiscence writing in China.

Fan Fengyi, a scholar of the late Ming Dynasty, was the first poet of the Fan family of poets and writers in Tongzhou.

In the 54th year of the Qianlong era (1789), Hu Changling, who took the top spot in an annual national-level recruitment exam for officials, was adept in poetry and prose.

Xu Shukui, a poet in Bencha town, was one of the victims of the four major literary inquisitions for his poem collection in the Qing Dynasty.

In the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), Fan Zhu was unique among poets of his generation for his magnificent style.

Prominent Artists

In ancient times, Nantong was blessed with numerous artists whose artistic achievements were awe-inspiring.

Li Fangying, a painter of the Qing Dynasty, was skilled in painting plum blossoms, orchids, bamboo, and chrysanthemums, and was listed as one of the "Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou" in later times.

Bao Zhuangxing, Ding Youyu, and Qian Qiu, painters of the Ming and Qing dynasties, also created classic pieces.

Li Yu was a literary scholar, dramatist, and play-theory scholar in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, who established a relatively comprehensive framework for drama theories and was later hailed as "the founder of Chinese drama theories."

Liu Jingting was a professional storyteller in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties.

His artistic style has been emulated by later generations, and he is regarded as the pioneer of Yangzhou storytelling.

Bai Zaimei was a famous pipa player in Tongzhou in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties.

His son Bai Huoru and grandson Bai Bishuang were also famous for their playing.

Shao Qian, a scholar of the Ming Dynasty, wrote the Historical Records of Tongzhou, the History of Printing in Ming, and the Biography of Upright Officials.

He founded the Donggao school of seal carving.

During the Jiaqing and Daoguang periods of the Qing Dynasty, Feng Yunpeng and Feng Yunyuan were skilled in refined poetry, calligraphy, and seal carving.

The Illustrated Book of Epigraphy they wrote is highly regarded in academia in China.

Traditional Chinese Medicine and TCM Practitioners

Traditional Chinese medicine in Nantong began flourishing from the Longqing era to the Wanli era in the Ming Dynasty.

During this period, Feng Luan, a doctor in Tongzhou, wrote 16 books including A Complete Chinese Medicine Guide, The Typhoid Monograph, and The Supplementary Experience in Medicine, which were the essence of Chinese internal medicine before the Ming Dynasty.

Chen Shigong, a surgical expert, wrote Surgical Orthodoxy, which was a highly accomplished and influential work on surgical medicine in ancient China.

He defined the "Five Precepts and Ten Requirements of Medicine" in the book, which is considered "the world's earliest written code of medical ethics."

During the Qing Dynasty, Nantong's traditional Chinese medicine made a certain degree of progress.

The internal, surgical, pediatric, smallpox, dermatology, injury and orthopedic, and other clinical disciplines of TCM matured, and a number of famous TCM doctors emerged at the time and contributed to TCM writings and clinical experience.

For example, Sun Ne, a famous physician in internal medicine, wrote the Heart Conditions. Si Shuping compiled the Corrected Classic on Medical Problems. Ma Shiyong, a famous doctor specialized in ulcers, wrote Shiyong's Anatomical Illustrations. Chen Yucai, a famous gynecologist, wrote Clinical Experience in Gynecology.

The number of local herbs increased from 57 in the Ming Dynasty to 99 in the Qing Dynasty, and there were new advances in herb identification, selection, and production.

Academies of classical learning and prominent confucianists

The ancient departments and counties of Nantong emphasized education, which laid a solid foundation for its flourishing literature.

In the fifth year of Taiping Xingguo in the Song Dynasty (980), Tongzhou built a Confucian school and was abolished when the imperial examination system ended in the late Qing Dynasty.

In addition to the official state schools, Tongzhou was home to Ziwei Academy in the Song Dynasty, Tiequ, Chongchuan, Tongchuan, and Zhongxiao academies in the Ming Dynasty, and Zilang and Dongjian academies in the Qing Dynasty.

When Haimen county was established, there was a county school.

During the Jiaqing era of the Qing Dynasty, Shishan Academy was built by the local gentry and overseen by the local government.

Rugao Confucianism began in the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms (907-960). Academies were built in the Song and Yuan dynasties (1271-1368). In the Daoguang period of the Qing Dynasty, the Anding Academy was completed.

By the late Qing Dynasty, Hai'an had three academies: Fengshan, Mingdao, and Shouzheng.

In Tongzhou, a primary education system was implemented. There were primary schools in the Song, Yuan, and Ming dynasties, and there were local rural primary schools in the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties.

Hu Yuan, a famous educator in ancient China and a great Confucian of the Northern Song Dynasty, was born and raised in Rugao. He was a pioneer of neo-Confucianism, advocating "understanding Confucian classics to rule the country and benefit the people." The "Suzhou and Huzhou teaching methods" he created pioneered the teaching of different courses, and he was hailed as the "greatest educator of the Northern Song Dynasty."

Editor-in-chief: Yu Lei

Editor: Wang Yun

Photo by Gu Yao

Translated by Wang Haifei from the Shanghai Waiyuan Translation Agency