Fan Zhongyan (5 September 989 – 19 June 1052) from

Wu County Wu County or Wuxian (; 221 B.C. – December 2000) is a former county and city located in modern Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province. Its name refers to its former status as the capital of the state of Wu during the Spring and Autumn period. Histo ...

of Suzhou (

Jiangsu Jiangsu (; ; pinyin: Jiāngsū, alternatively romanized as Kiangsu or Chiangsu) is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. It is one of the leading provinces in finance, education, technology, and tourism, with its ca ...

Province, China),

courtesy name A courtesy name (), also known as a style name, is a name bestowed upon one at adulthood in addition to one's given name. This practice is a tradition in the East Asian cultural sphere, including China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam.Ulrich Theob ...

Xiwen (), ratified as the Duke of Wenzheng () posthumously, and conferred as Duke of Chu () posthumously, was a Chinese poet, politician, philosopher, writer, military strategist, and one of the famous representative of

Scholar-officials The scholar-officials, also known as literati, scholar-gentlemen or scholar-bureaucrats (), were government officials and prestigious scholars in Chinese society, forming a distinct social class. Scholar-officials were politicians and governmen ...

in ancient China. Fan was one of the most prominent figures of the

Song dynasty The Song dynasty (; ; 960–1279) was an imperial dynasty of China that began in 960 and lasted until 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song following his usurpation of the throne of the Later Zhou. The Song conquered the rest ...

(960 - 1279), an era when China possessed the world’s largest economy and population. After serving the central government for several decades, Fan rose to a seat of Prime Minister or Chancellor over the entire Chinese empire nearing the zenith of its pre-modern economic, social, and cultural development. Fan's philosophical, educational and political legacy is one that changed the course of the Chinese history, one so powerful that it continues to exert a profound impact on the Chinese civilization today, and his philosophy and writings remain a core component of the Chinese literary canon. While Fan spent the majority of his time governing China, his myriad deeds and teachings, well represented by his well-known saying "Be the first to bear the world's hardship, and the last to enjoy its comfort" (), have served as an inspiration to the Chinese people for a thousand years. Fan is one of the most prominent members of the Fan family and is considered one of most renowned scholars of China, alongside the philosophers

Confucius Confucius ( ; zh, s=, p=Kǒng Fūzǐ, "Master Kǒng"; or commonly zh, s=, p=Kǒngzǐ, labels=no; – ) was a Chinese philosopher and politician of the Spring and Autumn period who is traditionally considered the paragon of Chinese sages. C ...

and Mencius.

Family History

Fan Zhongyan traces his lineage to

Emperor Yao Emperor Yao (; traditionally c. 2356 – 2255 BCE) was a legendary Chinese ruler, according to various sources, one of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors. Ancestry and early life Yao's ancestral name is Yi Qi () or Qi (), clan name i ...

, Emperor Ku, and Emperor Huang. Emperor Yao is a 5th generation descendant of Emperor Huang (or

Yellow Emperor The Yellow Emperor, also known as the Yellow Thearch or by his Chinese name Huangdi (), is a deity ('' shen'') in Chinese religion, one of the legendary Chinese sovereigns and culture heroes included among the mytho-historical Three Soverei ...

), and the second son of

Emperor Ku Kù (, variant graph ), usually referred to as Dì Kù (), also known as Gaoxin or Gāoxīn Shì () or Qūn (), was a descendant of the Yellow Emperor. He went by the name Gaoxin until receiving imperial authority, when he took the name Ku and th ...

. Often extolled as the morally perfect and intelligent sage-emperor, Emperor Yao became the founding father of the “Power Bestowing System” (), by abdicating his throne and bestowing the Emperor-hood to Shun () instead of his own children to make Shun the Emperor Shun (), an act appraised by Confucianism as “Power Bestowing” for several thousand years. Emperor Yao's benevolence and diligence served as a model to future Chinese monarchs and emperors. During the

Zhou Dynasty The Zhou dynasty ( ; Old Chinese ( B&S): *''tiw'') was a royal dynasty of China that followed the Shang dynasty. Having lasted 789 years, the Zhou dynasty was the longest dynastic regime in Chinese history. The military control of China by ...

, Dubo (), a 51st generation decedent of Emperor Yao, the monarch of the TangDu Kingdom and a Marquis by hereditary, exhorted the then King Zhou Xuan, and was killed by King Zhou Xuan. His family left Kingdom Zhou to other Kingdoms subsequently. Shihui (), a descendant of Dubo, later became the grand marshal and governed the Jin Kingdom (see Jin dynasty). Shihui is the first person to have “Fan” () as family name. He was conferred the name Fàn with the territory of Fan (in Henan Province today) by the King of the Jin Dynasty, and has been called Fan Wuzi (, BC 660 - BC 583, see Fan Clan since. From there, the Fan family became one of the most prominent governing families in the Jin Dynasty, and the most powerful of the six controlling families of the Jin Dynasty at the end of the Spring and Autumn period. Among Fan Zhongyan’s famous ancestors, there is

Fan Li Fan Li () from the Spring and Autumn period, was an ancient Chinese military strategist, politician, and businessman. Fàn Li was an important political and military advisor to Goujian, the king of Yue. He later was known as Tao Zhu Gong (陶 ...

, a prominent businessman from the Spring and Autumn period, who was the Chancellor of Kingdom Qi, a prominent statesman, military strategist, and the founding father of the Chinese commercial business who is worshiped as the "God of Prosperity" (or

Caishen Caishen () is the mythological figure worshipped in the Chinese folk religion and Taoism. He has been identified with many historical figures, viewed as his embodied forms, among whom Zhao Gongming (, Wade–Giles: ''Chao Kung-ming''; also known a ...

) by the Chinese. Fan Li was the lover and husband of

Xi Shi Xi Shi (Hsi Shih; , ) was, according to legends, one of the renowned Four Beauties of ancient China. She was said to have lived during the end of the Spring and Autumn period in Zhuji, the capital of the ancient State of Yue. In traditional ...

, the No.1 of the renowned

Four Beauties The Four Beauties or Four Great Beauties are four Chinese women who were renowned for their beauty. The four are usually identified as Xi Shi, Wang Zhaojun, Diaochan, and Yang Guifei. The scarcity of historical records concerning them meant t ...

of ancient China, and said to be the most beautiful Chinese woman of all time. Fan Zhongyan's other ancestors include

Fan Ju Fan commonly refers to: * Fan (machine), a machine for producing airflow, often used for cooling ** Hand fan, an implement held and waved by hand to move air for cooling * Fan (person), short for fanatic; an enthusiast or supporter, especially wit ...

(, d. 255 BCE), a powerful chancellor of the

Qin Dynasty The Qin dynasty ( ; zh, c=秦朝, p=Qín cháo, w=), or Ch'in dynasty in Wade–Giles romanization ( zh, c=, p=, w=Ch'in ch'ao), was the first dynasty of Imperial China. Named for its heartland in Qin state (modern Gansu and Shaanxi), ...

. Fan Zhongyan is also a descendant of Fan Lübing (), a Grand Chancellor (see

Grand councilor The grand chancellor (''zaixiang, tsai-hsiang''), also translated as counselor-in-chief, chancellor, chief councillor, chief minister, imperial chancellor, lieutenant chancellor and prime minister, was the highest-ranking executive official in th ...

) of the

Tang Dynasty The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdom ...

. Fan Zhongyan’s close ancestors all served as officials in the imperial governments. His grandfather Fan Zanshi () famously passed the

Imperial examination The imperial examination (; lit. "subject recommendation") refers to a civil-service examination system in Imperial China, administered for the purpose of selecting candidates for the state bureaucracy. The concept of choosing bureaucrats by ...

at age nine as a child prodigy. All four sons of Fan Zhongyan served as officials in the imperial government of the Song Dynasty, and two of them

Fan Chunren Fan commonly refers to: * Fan (machine), a machine for producing airflow, often used for cooling ** Hand fan, an implement held and waved by hand to move air for cooling * Fan (person), short for fanatic; an enthusiast or supporter, especially wit ...

and

Fan Chunli Fan commonly refers to: * Fan (machine), a machine for producing airflow, often used for cooling ** Hand fan, an implement held and waved by hand to move air for cooling * Fan (person), short for fanatic; an enthusiast or supporter, especially wit ...

also became Chancellors of China. Among Fan Zhongyan and his sons, and the families married with Fan Zhongyan's family, together there were eight Chancellors, indicating the powerful influence of Fan Zhongyan's family on the Song Dynasty at the time. *Fan Mengli : Fan Zhongyan's great grand father, conferred as Duke of Xu posthumously *Fan Zanshi : Fan Zhongyan's grand father, conferred as Duke of Cao and Duke of Tang posthumously *Fan Yong : Fan Zhongyan's father, conferred as Duke of Su and Duke of Zhou posthumously Living descendants of Fan Zhongyan include Fan Lei, a famous American musician currently teaching at the

Central Conservatory of Music The Central Conservatory of Music () is a prestigious leading public music school of China and a member of Double First Class University Plan and former Project 211. Its campus is in the Xicheng District of Beijing, China, near Fuxingmen Statio ...

Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...

, China.

Early life

Fan Zhongyan, from Wu County of Suzhou, was born in Xu Prefecture (of

Province) at a government residence. His father Fan Yong had been serving as an official of the government at different locations, and died in Xu Prefecture the subsequent year after Fan Zhongyan was born. Fan Zhongyan's mother Lady Xie returned to Suzhou and buried her husband at Fàn Clan's ancestral burial ground Tianping Mountain. Two years later, due to poverty and no financial means, Lady Xie remarried Zhu Wenhan (), a government official at the Wu County. Fan Zhongyan's name was subsequently changed to Zhu Yue (). Fan Zhongyan moved with step-father Zhu and mother Lady Xie to different places where Zhu took governmental posts. Always feeling grateful to step-father Zhu's kindness, Fan tried to pay back to Zhu's family after becoming very successful. Fan Zhongyan studied in residence at Changbai Mountain Jiuquan Temple as a young boy. It's said he lived in hardship with very little food everyday, but he never cared about it and instead persisted on learning. He read almost all the books available at the Changbai county. After learning his Fan family origin as a young adult by accident, Fan Zhongyan bid farewell to his mother Lady Xie. He traveled far away to today's Shanxi province, befriended Taoist priests Zhou Debao, Qu Yingyuan, and other intellectuals such as Wang Zhu. The experience broadened Fan's views about the world. In year 1011, Fan started schooling at the Yingtian Institute (, in today's

Henan Henan (; or ; ; alternatively Honan) is a landlocked province of China, in the central part of the country. Henan is often referred to as Zhongyuan or Zhongzhou (), which literally means "central plain" or "midland", although the name is al ...

Shangqiu ), the head of the Big Four Institutes (, similar to today's big four universities). He lived an austere lifestyle but studied very hard days and nights. After several years, he had mastered different classics books, and established his aspiration of being generous and taking the world as his responsibilities. In 1015, he successfully passed the

Imperial Examination The imperial examination (; lit. "subject recommendation") refers to a civil-service examination system in Imperial China, administered for the purpose of selecting candidates for the state bureaucracy. The concept of choosing bureaucrats by ...

and became a

Jinshi ''Jinshi'' () was the highest and final degree in the imperial examination in Imperial China. The examination was usually taken in the imperial capital in the palace, and was also called the Metropolitan Exam. Recipients are sometimes referr ...

, after which he returned to using the Fan surname and received his mother again to provide for her.

Early official career

In the 1020s, Fan served a variety of regional posts, including as magistrate for the Jiqing Army (in modern-day Bozhou, Anhui), and as a salt store inspector in Taizhou. He then became the county magistrate of Xinghua County (in modern-day coastal Jiangsu), where with his colleague and friend Teng Zongliang he engaged in a series of dyke-building activities along the coastal counties. Not long after the completion of this project, Fan's mother died and he resigned his post for

filial mourning Filial mourning () refers to a bureaucratic norm, practiced since the Han dynasty, whereby officials of the imperial government of China were obliged to resign their posts and return to their home upon the death of a parent or grandparent. Descri ...

. In the 1030s, Fan served as the prefect of

Kaifeng Kaifeng () is a prefecture-level city in east-central Henan province, China. It is one of the Eight Ancient Capitals of China, having been the capital eight times in history, and is best known for having been the Chinese capital during the No ...

. While there, he took on a young Ouyang Xiu as a disciple; a partnership that would become very important a decade later. However, after criticizing the Chief Councillor of the Song state when he submitted a proposal to reform criteria used in the advancement and demotion of officials, he was demoted to regional government. In 1038, faced with the revolt of Li Yuanhao, the court dispatched Fan along with Han Qi to Shanxi, to inspect the defences; they rendered effective support to the ending of the revolt. Fan was recalled in 1040 when the Liao and

Western Xia The Western Xia or the Xi Xia (), officially the Great Xia (), also known as the Tangut Empire, and known as ''Mi-nyak''Stein (1972), pp. 70–71. to the Tanguts and Tibetans, was a Tangut-led Buddhist imperial dynasty of China tha ...

once again threatened Song borders from the north. Fan, who had long favored a strong defense, was brought back to devise a response to the northern threat.

Qingli Reforms

After the Song dynasty granted the

indemnities similar to those granted to the

Liao dynasty The Liao dynasty (; Khitan language, Khitan: ''Mos Jælud''; ), also known as the Khitan Empire (Khitan: ''Mos diau-d kitai huldʒi gur''), officially the Great Liao (), was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China that exi ...

in the

Chanyuan Treaty The Chanyuan Treaty () was signed between the Northern Song dynasty and the Liao dynasty in 1005, and marked a pivotal point in Chinese history and in the relations between the two dynasties. The treaty laid the foundation for approximately a cent ...

, Fan, along with other advocates of Confucian ideals, sought reform at the court. He presented a ten-point proposal covering various aspects of government administration, including reforms to the recruitment system, higher pay for minor local officials to discourage corruption, and wider sponsorship programs to ensure that officials were drafted more on the basis of their intellect and character. However, many of the reforms that he introduced met with the opposition of conservative ministers who felt the system did not need drastic changes (and who felt threatened by the prospect of change halfway through their careers as state bureaucrats). The emperor rescinded the reforms in 1045, after Fan and his friend and colleague Ouyang Xiu had been charged with forming a faction, which was considered subversive by definition. Nevertheless, his idealist approach to governance inspired others, like the later Chancellor

Wang Anshi Wang Anshi ; ; December 8, 1021 – May 21, 1086), courtesy name Jiefu (), was a Chinese economist, philosopher, poet, and politician during the Song dynasty. He served as chancellor and attempted major and controversial socioeconomic reforms k ...

Educational reforms

Fan also began educational reforms in the 1040s. In the early Northern Song era, prefectural schools were neglected by the state and were left to the devices of wealthy patrons who provided private finances. While Chancellor, Fan Zhongyan issued an edict that would have a combination of government funding and private financing to restore and rebuild all prefectural schools that had fallen into disuse and abandoned since the

Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms The Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period (), from 907 to 979, was an era of political upheaval and division in 10th-century Imperial China. Five dynastic states quickly succeeded one another in the Central Plain, and more than a dozen concu ...

(907-960). Fan attempted to restore all county-level schools in the same manner, but did not designate where funds for the effort would be formally acquired and the decree was not taken seriously until the later Emperor Huizong of Song who expanded the county-level school system dramatically. Fan's trend of government funding for education set in motion the movement of public schools that eclipsed private academies, which would not be officially reversed until

Emperor Lizong of Song Emperor Lizong of Song (26 January 1205 – 16 November 1264), personal name Zhao Yun, was the 14th emperor of the Song dynasty of China and the fifth emperor of the Southern Song dynasty. He reigned from 1224 to 1264. His original name was ...

in the mid 13th century.

Literary works

Fan Zhongyan's most famous work of literature is ''Memorial to Yueyang Tower''. The descriptive prose piece was composed at the invitation of Teng Zongliang, who was then the local prefect and had rebuilt the famed ancient tower.

Yueyang Lou Yueyang Tower () is an ancient Chinese tower in Yueyang, Hunan Province, on the shore of Lake Dongting. Alongside the Pavilion of Prince Teng and Yellow Crane Tower, it is one of the Three Great Towers of Jiangnan. Yueyang Tower became famous fo ...

, a city gate by the side of

Dongting Lake Dongting Lake () is a large, shallow lake in northeastern Hunan Province, China. It is a flood basin of the Yangtze River, so its volume depends on the season. The provinces of Hubei and Hunan are named after their location relative to the la ...

, was known as one of the three great towers in Southern China, due to their association with famous literary works (the others being

Yellow Crane Tower Yellow Crane Tower () is a traditional Chinese tower located in Wuhan. The current structure was built in 1981, but the tower has existed in various forms from as early as AD 223. The current Yellow Crane Tower is high and covers an area of . ...

and

Pavilion of Prince Teng The Pavilion of Prince Teng () is a building in the North West of the city of Nanchang, in Jiangxi province, China, on the east bank of the Gan River and is one of the Three Great Towers of southern China. The other two are the Yueyang Tower an ...

). This commemorative ''Ji'' was written in prose, with extensive usage of phrases in four, and culminates in the oft-quoted "". This can be translated as "Feel concern for others " under heaven" before others, and rejoice after others under heaven have rejoiced"; or "Be the first to feel concern about the country and the last to enjoy oneself"; or "Bear the hardship and bitterness before others, enjoy comfort and happiness after others". is also a famous quotation of his. This quote comes from ''Ling Wu Fu'
《》
in 1036, which was written in reply to a friend (Mei Yaochen, )'s advice. This friend, Mei Yaochen, tried to persuade him to stop bearing so much concern for others "under heaven" and to start caring for his own career and life. In response, Fan told a fable about a spirit bird, using the metaphor to express his aspirations. It embodies the moral integrity, sound conscience, and responsibility for others required of a Shi Da Fu, called "The Moral Responsibilities of Intellectuals". Fan Zhongyan was known for his ci poetry. Among the most famous are Su Mu Zhe () and Yu Jia Ao (). Together with

Su Shi Su Shi (; 8 January 1037 – 24 August 1101), courtesy name Zizhan (), art name Dongpo (), was a Chinese calligrapher, essayist, gastronomer, pharmacologist, poet, politician, and travel writer during the Song dynasty. A major personality of ...

, he was considered one of the founders of the ''haofang'' () school of '' ci''.

Family

Fan Zhongyan and his wife who from Peng Clan () had four sons, all of whom also entered the government: *Fan Chunyou (, 1024—1063) *Fan Chunren (, 1027—1101), Chancellor of the Song Dynasty, prominent member of the conservative faction during the Wang Anshi Reforms, ratified as the Duke of Zhongxuan () posthumously *Fan Chunli (, 1031一1106), Chancellor of the Song Dynasty, ratified as the Duke of Gongxian () posthumously *Fan Chuncui (, 1046—1117)

Overseas Branch Descendants

Fan Zhongyan had many descendants. According to the Book of Gaoping Fan Clan Genealogy (), his 9th descendant is Fan Fachuan () who lived at Meixian in Guangdong Province and truly integrated into Hakka Chinese society. Fan Daliang (), 12th descendant from Fan Fachuan and 21st descendant from Fan Zhongyan who migrated to Nanyang or Southeast Asia and arrived in 1879 at Cirebon, West Java, Indonesia when he was 18. Fan Daliang had another spelling name in Indonesia because influenced by the spelling of the Dutch language: "Hoan Tat Liang" or "Hoan Tat Liong". The second name of Fan Daliang is Hoan Tje Huang () as a kleermaker, garment business owner, and fabric shop owner. Hoan Tat Liang had seven children by married to Sundanese women who called Arengsih or Nyai Hoan Tat Liang. Sons : *Fan Binghe () or Hoan Piang Ho married to Boen Ih Nio () *Fan Linhe () or Hoan Lin Ho married to Jao Jen Moy () and Oey Roe Nio () *Fan Honghe () or Hoan Fung Ho married to Oey Hap Nio () Daughters: *Fan Cainiang () or Hoan Tjai Nio married to Kang Boen Hie () *Fan Caifeng () or Hoan Tjai Hoeng married to Tjiong Clan () *Fan Caiding () or Hoan Tjai Tin married to Lo Clan () *Fan Cailai () or Hoan Tjai Loy married to The Sin Keng (), son of Luitenant der Chinezen The Tjiauw Yong te Cheribon

Notes

References

* * * * * *Book of Gaoping Fan Clan Genealogy ()

External links

*http://www.silkqin.com/09hist/qinshi/fanzhongyan.htm *http://www.cctv.com/program/civilization/20040406/101759.shtml *https://web.archive.org/web/20050408200139/http://chinapage.com/poet-e/fanzhongyan2e.html *http://www.chinese-literature.org/lyrics/Fan-zhongyan
Fan Zhongyan Poems & Ci
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fan, Zhongyan 989 births 1052 deaths 11th-century Chinese poets Poets from Jiangsu Politicians from Suzhou Song dynasty chancellors Song dynasty philosophers 11th-century Chinese philosophers Song dynasty poets Song dynasty politicians from Jiangsu Writers from Suzhou Chinese reformers