Han Yu

Han Yu
Born768
Heyang (now Mengzhou, Henan)
Died824 (aged 55–56)
Names
Family name: Hán 韓
Given name: Yù 愈
Courtesy name: Tuìzhī 退之
Posthumous name
韓文公
OccupationEssayist, philosopher, poet, politician
Han Yu
Traditional Chinese韓愈
Simplified Chinese韩愈
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinHán Yù
Gwoyeu RomatzyhHarn Yuh
Wade–GilesHan24
IPA[xǎn ŷ]
Yue: Cantonese
Yale RomanizationHòhn Yuh
JyutpingHon4 Jyu6
IPA[hɔn˩ jy˨]
Southern Min
Tâi-lôHân Jú

Han Yu (Chinese: 韓愈; 768 – 25 December 824), courtesy name Tuizhi (Chinese: 退之), and commonly known by his posthumous name Han Wengong (韓文公), was an essayist, Confucian scholar, poet, and government official during the Tang dynasty who significantly influenced the development of Neo-Confucianism.[1] Described as "comparable in stature to Dante, Shakespeare or Goethe" for his influence on the Chinese literary tradition,[2] Han Yu stood for strong central authority in politics and orthodoxy in cultural matters.

He is often considered to be among China's finest prose writers.[3] Ming dynasty scholar Mao Kun (茅坤) ranked him first among the "Eight Great Prose Masters of the Tang and Song".[4]

  1. ^ Hartman, Charles (1998). Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Volume 1. pp. 221–222. ISBN 978-81-7833-093-8 – via Google Books.
  2. ^ William H. Nienhauser Jr., ed. (1986). The Indiana Companion to Traditional Chinese Literature. Indiana University Press. pp. 397–399. ISBN 0-253-32983-3.
  3. ^ Gladys Yang (1984). Poetry and prose of the Tang and Song. p. 63. ISBN 978-0-8351-1164-5.
  4. ^ Sigfried J. de Laet, ed. (1994). History of Humanity: From the seventh to the sixteenth century. p. 1083. ISBN 978-92-3-102813-7.