Fan Zhongyan

Fan Zhongyan ( Chinese trad. , Pinyin : Fàn Zhòngyān , b. 989 county Wuxian - d. 1052 ) - a Chinese statesman and writer of the Song era.

In 1015 (26 years old) received the title of Jinshi . Initially, he led the construction of breakwaters on the Pacific coast of China. In 1034 - 1036 , along with Ouyang Xiu , cataloged the imperial library.

During the war with the Tangut kingdom of Xi Xia from 1040 to 1044, Fan was appointed deputy commander in Shaanxi Province , and in 1041 he leads the provincial defense organization. The peace conclusion that followed in 1044 was judged by the imperial court as a personal success for Fan, despite the fact that the Chinese had to pay a significant tribute in silver, silk and tea. Fan was recalled to the capital and promoted to the rank of deputy chancellor . In this position, Fan in 1045 launched a series of reforms in various areas of life.

An Orthodox Confucian , Fan proposed, then approved by the emperor, a 10-point reform project, among which were changes in tax policy and the bureaucracy examination system. Fan saw one of the main ills of the Chinese management system in the absence of a sufficient number of well-trained officials and specialists. He advocated the opening of new schools throughout the country.

Fan Zhongyan is the author of numerous po po. His most famous work is Notes on the Yueyang Tower岳陽 樓 記. The work was written at the invitation of Teng Zijing 滕 子 京, who rebuilt the tower. Among other things, it contains the famous characteristic of “people of antiquity” (intellectual estates), among which the author dreams of taking a place: “those who are in the capital’s palaces care for the people, and among the rivers and lakes they care for the sovereign. The first in the worries of the world and the last in its joys »不 以 物 喜 ， 不 以 己 悲 ， 居 廟堂 之 高 ， 則 憂 其 民 ； 處 江湖 之 遠 ， 則 憂 其君。 是 進 亦 憂 ， 退 亦 憂 ； 然則何時 而 樂 耶？ 其 必 曰 ： 「先 天下 之 憂 而 憂 ， 後 天下 之 樂 而 樂」 乎！ 噫！ 微 斯人 ， 吾 誰 與 歸！.