Former Residence of Wu Jingzi in Nanjing

Former Residence of Wu Jingzi in Nanjing

The Former Residence of Wu Jingzi in Nanjing is a cultural tourism attraction.

Former Residence of Wu Jingzi in Nanjing

The Wu Jingzi Former Residence Exhibition Hall is located at the junction of Qingxi River and Qinhuai River in Nanjing, adjacent to the ancient Taoye Ferry, and is named Qinhuai Waterside Pavilion.

The site covers a total area of 800 square meters and is divided into southern and northern sections. The southern part is the site of the ancient Taoye Ferry, which got its name because the great Jin Dynasty calligrapher Wang Xianzhi once welcomed his beloved concubine Taoye here. For thousands of years, literati and scholars have often composed poetry and reflected on the past here, leaving behind many beautiful verses and vivid folk legends. The northern part is the former residence of Wu Jingzi, where various editions of The Scholars are displayed, reflecting representative episodes from Wu Jingzi’s life and serving as another research hub for the study of Wu.

Wu Jingzi (1701–1754), courtesy name Minxuan, also known as Limin, and in his later years as Wenmu Laoren and Qinhuai Yukè, was a great satirical writer in China. In the 11th year of the Yongzheng reign (1733), at the age of 33, Wu Jingzi left his hometown of Quanjiao and moved to Nanjing, residing at Qinhuai Waterside Pavilion. As his exposure broadened, so did his vision. He observed: “There are those who fawn upon others in pursuit of fame and wealth; those who flaunt their status and look down on others; and those who pretend to disdain fame and wealth, only to be exposed and ridiculed.” After experiencing the fickleness of the world and seeing through the corruption of the imperial examination system, Wu Jingzi, with his wit and satire, created China’s first long satirical novel — The Scholars — in Nanjing. It took him over ten years to complete. To commemorate this great literary figure, the Qinhuai District Committee and District Government planned and reconstructed Qinhuai Waterside Pavilion next to the ancient Taoye Ferry site and established the Wu Jingzi Former Residence Exhibition Hall.

Wu Jingzi (1701–1754), courtesy name Minxuan, also known as Limin, was a Qing Dynasty novelist of Han ethnicity from Quanjiao, Anhui. Born in the 40th year of the Kangxi reign during the reign of Emperor Shengzu (1701) and died in the 19th year of the Qianlong reign under Emperor Gaozong (1754) at the age of 54. Gifted and precocious from a young age, he had an exceptional memory and was especially proficient in the Wen Xuan, able to compose rhapsodies effortlessly. Throughout his life, he produced a large body of poetry, prose, and historical research works, including the twelve-volume Collected Poems and Essays from Wenmu Mountain Studio, of which four volumes survive today. His long satirical novel The Scholars established his outstanding position in the history of Chinese literature, making him one of the greatest novelists of the Qing Dynasty.

Brief Biography

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