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Fan Chengda

Type Figure Region China Time 1126–1193 Also known as Zhineng、Lay Master Shihu

Fan Chengda (1126–1193), courtesy name Zhineng, sobriquet Lay Master Shihu, was a Southern Song poet, statesman, and geographer from Suzhou;…

Timeline

  1. 1126–1154Suzhou · SuzhouBorn near Suzhou, Fan Chengda was precocious and passed the jinshi exam in the 24th year of Shaoxing (1154), beginning his official career; his family's scholarly tradition and Jiangnan's cultural milieu deeply shaped his later poetry and writings.
  2. 1155–1169Guilin · GuilinFan Chengda served as prefect of Yunzhou, Jiankang, Guilin, and Chengdu, attending to agriculture, building waterworks, and reforming abuses, with notable achievements; in later life he retired to Shihu in Suzhou, taking the sobriquet Lay Master Shihu, and composed famous pastoral poems such as 'Miscellaneous Poems on the Four Seasons of Pastoral Life.'
  3. 1170–1171Yanjing · BeijingIn the sixth year of Qiandao (1170) Fan Chengda was sent on a mission to Jin to congratulate the Jin ruler on his birthday; at Yanjing he upheld Song court etiquette and argued his case, and though he ultimately failed to change the Jin court's arrogant attitude, he won the respect of scholars; after returning he wrote 'Lanpei Lu' and 'Canluan Lu,' recording the northern landscape.
  4. 1172–1193Shihu, Suzhou · SuzhouIn his later years Fan Chengda lived at Shihu, exchanging poems with Lu You, Yang Wanli, and others, and compiled the 'Collected Poems of Lay Master Shihu'; he also wrote 'Guihai Yuheng Zhi' on Lingnan's products and died in the fourth year of Shaoxi (1193), his literary and geographical works surviving to later ages.

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