Yuan Zhen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Yuan Zhen |
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Yuan Zhen (Chinese: 元稹; Wade–Giles: Yüan Chen; 779 – September 2, 831) was a famous poet and politician in ancient China. He lived during the middle of the Tang Dynasty. His special name, called a courtesy name, was Weizhi (微之).
Yuan Zhen is well-known for his story Yingying's Biography. This story has been turned into many plays and musicals over the years. As a poet, he was part of a group called the "New Yuefu" poets. They used their poems to share ideas and sometimes to gently express their feelings about society. He was also a close friend of another very famous poet, Bai Juyi. Yuan Zhen even became a top government official, known as a chancellor, for a short time when Emperor Muzong was in charge.
Yuan Zhen was born in Luoyang. His family was related to the old Northern Wei imperial family. When he was seven years old, his father passed away. He then moved with his mother, Lady Zheng, to Fengxiang (鳳翔), which is near today's Baoji, Shaanxi. Yuan Zhen started writing when he was fifteen. He was a key person in bringing back older styles of literature. He was friends with Bai Juyi and also with Xue Tao, a well-known poet. Yuan Zhen and Bai Juyi even made a plan to retire together, but Yuan Zhen passed away before they could. In 813, Yuan Zhen wrote a special message for the tomb of Du Fu, praising his poems.
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Yuan Zhen's Early Life and Education
Yuan Zhen was born in 779, around the time Emperor Dezong became emperor. His father, Yuan Kuan, was a low-level government official. Sadly, Yuan Kuan died when Yuan Zhen was only seven years old.
Yuan Zhen was raised by his mother, Lady Zheng. She was a very smart woman. Even though their family was poor, she taught Yuan Zhen to read and write herself instead of sending him to school. People said he could write well by the age of eight. When he was 14, he passed an important government test about two famous Confucian classics. At 23, he started working as a copyeditor at the Palace Library.
Yuan Zhen's Government Career
In 806, when Yuan Zhen was 27, he took a special government test about how to think strategically. He came in first place among 18 people, including his friend Bai Juyi. Because of this, Yuan Zhen became a junior advisor in the government.
Yuan Zhen was known for speaking his mind. He often gave advice to the emperor. He suggested ways to improve the government and defend the borders. However, some other powerful officials became jealous of him. They had him sent away from the capital city, Chang'an, to work as a sheriff in Luoyang.
After his mother passed away, Yuan Zhen took time off to mourn. When he returned to work, he became an imperial censor. This meant he was like a watchdog, checking if other officials were doing their jobs correctly. He even accused some officials of bad behavior. This led to some disagreements, and he was sent to work in Jiangling (in modern Jingzhou, Hubei).
While in Jiangling, Yuan Zhen wrote many poems. His style, along with Bai Juyi's, became very popular. People called it the Yuanhe Style. The local officials were impressed by his talent. Even though he was far from the capital, he and Bai Juyi often sent long poems to each other. People in the Yangtze River region loved their poems and studied them. Many of Yuan Zhen's poems showed how sad he was to be away from the capital.
In 819, Yuan Zhen was called back to Chang'an. He worked in the ministry of rites. The chancellor at the time, Linghu Chu, was a talented writer himself. He was very impressed by Yuan Zhen's writings. Emperor Xianzong's son, Li Heng, also loved Yuan Zhen's poetry. He called him "Savant Yuan."
Yuan Zhen as Chancellor
In 820, Li Heng became Emperor Muzong. A trusted eunuch, Cui Tanjun, gave Emperor Muzong a collection of over 100 poems by Yuan Zhen. The emperor was very happy and promoted Yuan Zhen to a higher position. He also put Yuan Zhen in charge of writing official orders for the emperor.
Yuan Zhen's poems became even more popular in Chang'an. Everyone wanted to read them. Soon after, he became a chief imperial scholar and a mid-level official in the legislative bureau.
In 821, Yuan Zhen was involved in a big event that led to long-lasting disagreements between powerful groups in the government. There were problems with the imperial examinations, where people took tests to become officials. Some people felt the results were unfair. Yuan Zhen, along with others, agreed that there were problems. This led to some officials being demoted. This event is seen as the start of the "Niu-Li Factional Struggles," which were political rivalries that lasted for about 40 years.
Later, Yuan Zhen became a chancellor. This was a very important job, like a prime minister. He held this position for less than four months. After some investigations into a misunderstanding, both Yuan Zhen and another chancellor, Pei Du, were removed from their chancellor posts. Yuan Zhen was sent away from the capital again, to Tong Prefecture.
After two years, he became the governor of Zhedong Circuit. He had a team of talented writers, and they often went on trips to beautiful places and wrote poems. He stayed there for eight years, during the time of Emperor Muzong's son, Emperor Jingzong.
Yuan Zhen's Final Years
In 829, when Emperor Wenzong was emperor, Yuan Zhen was called back to Chang'an. He tried to improve the government office he worked in. However, he didn't get much support from other officials.
When a chancellor named Wang Bo passed away in 830, Yuan Zhen tried to become chancellor again, but he couldn't. Instead, he was sent to Wuchang Circuit to be its military governor.
Yuan Zhen suddenly became ill in the fall of 831 and passed away within a day. He was given special honors after his death. He left behind a large collection of his writings, including 100 volumes of poems, official documents, and essays. He also put together a 300-volume work of old and new legal rulings.
Yuan Zhen's Poetry
Yuan Zhen was a very active poet throughout his life, especially during the reigns of Emperor Muzong and Emperor Jingzong. He was interested in the poems of other writers too.
He was a key member of the New Yuefu Movement. This group of poets wanted to bring back the old yuefu style of folk ballads from the Han Dynasty. They believed poetry could be used to talk about politics and society. The group included his friend Bai Juyi, who was seen as their leader, along with Zhang Ji and Wang Jian.
Four of Yuan Zhen's poems were chosen for the famous poetry book, Three Hundred Tang Poems. These poems include:
- "An Elegy I"
- "An Elegy II"
- "An Elegy III"
- "The Summer Palace"
The three "Elegies" are sad poems he wrote about his wife, who passed away when she was young.
Yuan Zhen's Prose
Yuan Zhen's story, Biography of Ying-ying, is one of the most popular and often adapted chuanqi. These were short stories written in the old classical Chinese language. Many people have translated this story into English. You can even find an online translation with the Chinese text here.
See also
In Spanish: Yuan Zhen para niños
