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Qin Shi      
Wang Tong
- Qin Shi #112		 王通 1
琴史 #112 2

Wang Tong (583 - 616), style name 仲淹 Zhongyan, was better known by his nickname, 文中子 Wenzhongzi (Wen Zhongzi). A famous writer and Confucian teacher, he was the elder brother of Wang Ji. They were both from 絳州龍門 Longmen in Jingzhou district, northeast of Chang'an.

As a youth Wang Tong was (see Giles) "such an ardent student that for six years he never took off his clothes." He proposed 12 "Plans to Secure the Empire", and when these were not accepted he retired to He Fen, the area between the Fen and Yellow rivers, about 150 km. northeast of Chang An, there teaching thousands of students. When Yang Su made him an offer of official employment, he proudly declined it. After his death his disciples canonized him Wenzhongzi.

Wang Tong is associated with the qin melodies Xing Tan and Gujiao Xing.

Qinshu Daquan, Folio 16, #30 has two extracts from what is written here (one is shorter and sometimes re-ordered).3

The original essay in Qin Shi begins as follows.

Wen Zhongzi had the given name Tong and style name Zhongyan. As a youth he had an ardent desire to help people, and so (in 592 CE) he traveled west to Chang An to see the Sui emperor Wendi (r. 589 - 605) and propose 12 Plans to Secure Tranquility, but they were not able to use them.

(Then follows a scrambled version of Wang Tong's 王道 Wang Dao as found in Qinshu Daquan, Folio 16, #30)
(When I was in Chang An,) 楊素 Yang Su, 蘇夔 Su Kui and 李德林 Li Delin all invited visits with me and I spoke with them....

(It continues with a quote from Wang Tong's 禮樂 Li Yue; it is the same as in Qinshu Daquan, Folio 16, #30)
When I was traveling in Fenting I sat and played the qin....

This can be compared to Confucius' Gui Shan....

Still in preparation.

 
Footnotes (Shorthand references are explained on a separate page)

1 21295.1130/2 lists a number of titles attributed to him, but says only his 中說 Zhong Shuo survives. He is not in ICTCL or other standard literature sources, but see Giles. (Return)

2 (Return)

3 In QQJC V, pp.355 - 358. See also Xu Jian's History, Chapter 5. A. (p.53), Giles, etc. (Return)

4 (Return)

 

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