Jiang Tingxi (, 1669–1732Barnhart: Page 379.),

courtesy name A courtesy name ( zh, s=字, p=zì, l=character), also known as a style name, is an additional name bestowed upon individuals at adulthood, complementing their given name. This tradition is prevalent in the East Asian cultural sphere, particula ...

Yangsun (), was a Chinese painter, and an editor of the

encyclopedia An encyclopedia is a reference work or compendium providing summaries of knowledge, either general or special, in a particular field or discipline. Encyclopedias are divided into article (publishing), articles or entries that are arranged Alp ...

Complete Classics Collection of Ancient China The ''Complete Classics Collection of Ancient China'' (or the ''Gujin Tushu Jicheng'') is a vast encyclopedic work written in China during the reigns of the Qing dynasty emperors Kangxi and Yongzheng. It was begun in 1700 and completed in 1725 ...

''. Jiang was born in

Changshu Changshu (; Suzhounese: /d͡ʐan¹³ ʐoʔ²³/) is a county-level city under the jurisdiction of Suzhou, Jiangsu province, and is part of the Yangtze River Delta. It borders the prefecture-level city of Nantong to the northeast across the Yangt ...

Jiangsu Jiangsu is a coastal Provinces of the People's Republic of China, province in East China. It is one of the leading provinces in finance, education, technology, and tourism, with its capital in Nanjing. Jiangsu is the List of Chinese administra ...

. Besides the name Yangsun, he was also known by his courtesy name Youjun (), as well as the pseudonyms Nansha (), Qingtong Jushi, Qiujun, and XiGu (). The 5020-volume state-sponsored encyclopedia ''Complete Classics Collection of Ancient China'' () was published in 1726 and had been compiled by

Chen Menglei Chen Menglei (; 1650–1741) was a Chinese encyclopedist, historian, and philosopher during the Qing dynasty. He was a scholar-writer known for being the chief editor, compiler, and author of the Gujin Tushu Jicheng Chinese encyclopedia. In 1670 ...

and Jiang Tingxi during the reigns of the

Kangxi The Kangxi Emperor (4 May 165420 December 1722), also known by his temple name Emperor Shengzu of Qing, personal name Xuanye, was the third emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the second Qing emperor to rule over China proper. His reign of 61 ye ...

and

Yongzheng The Yongzheng Emperor (13 December 1678 – 8 October 1735), also known by his temple name Emperor Shizong of Qing, personal name Yinzhen, was the fourth emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the third Qing emperor to rule over China proper. The ...

emperors in the

Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing, was a Manchu-led Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China and an early modern empire in East Asia. The last imperial dynasty in Chinese history, the Qing dynasty was preceded by the ...

. As an official painter and grand secretary to the imperial court, Jiang used a wide variety of artistic styles, and focused particularly on paintings of birds and flowers. He was also proficient in

calligraphy Calligraphy () is a visual art related to writing. It is the design and execution of lettering with a pen, ink brush, or other writing instruments. Contemporary calligraphic practice can be defined as "the art of giving form to signs in an e ...

. His works influenced later court painters, including Yu Sheng (), Yu Zhi (). Although better known for his ''Complete Classics Collection of Ancient China'', Jiang also contributed—along with other scholars—in the compilation of the "Daqing Yitongzhi" ('Gazetteer of the Qing Empire').Fairbank & Teng, 211. This geographical

gazetteer A gazetteer is a geographical dictionary or wikt:directory, directory used in conjunction with a map or atlas.Aurousseau, 61. It typically contains information concerning the geographical makeup, social statistics and physical features of a co ...

was provided with a preface in 1744 (more than a decade after Jiang's death), revised in 1764, and reprinted in 1849. Apart from cultural activity, as a holder of the ''jinshi'' degree Tinxi performed the important duties in the Qing government's Office of Military Finance, on par with

Zhang Tingyu Zhang Tingyu (, October 29, 1672 – May 19, 1755) was a Han Chinese politician and historian who lived in the Qing dynasty. Biography Zhang Tingyu was born in Tongcheng in Anhui province. In 1700, he obtained a '' jinshi'' position in t ...

(headed by Yinxiang, the Yongzheng Emperor's brother). Spence, ''

The Search for Modern China ''The Search for Modern China'' is a 1990 non-fiction book by Jonathan D. Spence, published by Century Hutchinson and W. W. Norton & Company. It covers the period 1600 to 1989. According to Spence, the goal was to explain how Modern China was ...

'', p.80-81

Notes

References

*Barnhart, R. M. et al. Three thousand years of Chinese painting. New Haven, Yale University Press. 1997. *Fairbank, J.K. and S.Y. Teng. "On the Ch'ing Tributary System," ''Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies'' (Volume 6, Number 2, 1941): 135–246. *Nie, Chongzheng
"Jiang Tingxi"
''

Encyclopedia of China The ''Encyclopedia of China'' () is the first large-entry modern encyclopedia in the Chinese language. The compilation began in 1978. Published by the Encyclopedia of China Publishing House, the encyclopedia was issued one volume at a time, be ...

'', 1st ed. * {{DEFAULTSORT:Jiang, Tingxi 1669 births 1732 deaths Painters from Suzhou Chinese bird artists Chinese encyclopedists Grand Councillors of the Qing dynasty Grand secretaries of the Qing dynasty Politicians from Suzhou Qing dynasty calligraphers Qing dynasty painters People from Changshu Qing dynasty classicists Writers from Suzhou

See also

Notes

References