Wu Jiaji
Encyclopedia
Wu Jiaji was a Chinese
poet
, and an associate of the official and literary figure Zhou Lianggong
.
Wu’s writings provide us with a glimpse of conditions just prior to the Manchu
Qing
conquest and especially descriptions of social conditions in rural society. Wu was from Taizhou, Jiangsu
, an area already known for radical intellectualism. The area had once experienced economic prosperity, but by the 17th century was in decline.
Wu lived in the midst of poverty in a dilapidated home with broken tiles. Members of the local community still attempted to uphold old standards of education and culture. The area was one of salt production and Wu’s ancestors engaged in this profession. Wu himself engaged in variety of occupations. It is popular to view Wu, and others of his station, as hermits in protest against the newly established Manchu regime. Wu’s accounts of China’s new masters on a local level are of course revealing. Among Wu’s associates were seal carvers who came to the attention of the scholar Zhou. Zhou would publish a collection of their biographies, the Yinren Zhuan (印人传).
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
poet
Chinese poetry
Chinese poetry is poetry written, spoken, or chanted in the Chinese language, which includes various versions of Chinese language, including Classical Chinese, Standard Chinese, Mandarin Chinese, Cantonese, Yue Chinese, as well as many other historical and vernacular varieties of the Chinese language...
, and an associate of the official and literary figure Zhou Lianggong
Zhou Lianggong
Zhou Lianggong was a Chinese poet, born in Kaifeng was an essayist and art historian, and had long family ties to Nanjing.He passed his Jinshi degree in 1640, becoming a magistrate in Shandong where he defended the city from attack from Manchu Qing army. He would however take his place in the new...
.
Wu’s writings provide us with a glimpse of conditions just prior to the Manchu
Manchu
The Manchu people or Man are an ethnic minority of China who originated in Manchuria . During their rise in the 17th century, with the help of the Ming dynasty rebels , they came to power in China and founded the Qing Dynasty, which ruled China until the Xinhai Revolution of 1911, which...
Qing
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
conquest and especially descriptions of social conditions in rural society. Wu was from Taizhou, Jiangsu
Taizhou, Jiangsu
Taizhou is a prefecture-level city in central Jiangsu province of eastern China. Situated on the north bank of the Yangtze River, it borders Nantong to the east, Yancheng to the north and Yangzhou to the west....
, an area already known for radical intellectualism. The area had once experienced economic prosperity, but by the 17th century was in decline.
Wu lived in the midst of poverty in a dilapidated home with broken tiles. Members of the local community still attempted to uphold old standards of education and culture. The area was one of salt production and Wu’s ancestors engaged in this profession. Wu himself engaged in variety of occupations. It is popular to view Wu, and others of his station, as hermits in protest against the newly established Manchu regime. Wu’s accounts of China’s new masters on a local level are of course revealing. Among Wu’s associates were seal carvers who came to the attention of the scholar Zhou. Zhou would publish a collection of their biographies, the Yinren Zhuan (印人传).