Fang Guancheng () (1696 or 1698–1768), also known by his

Art name An art name (pseudonym or pen name), also known by its native names ''hào'' (in Mandarin Chinese), ''gō'' (in Japanese), ' (in Korean), and ''tên hiệu'' (in Vietnamese), is a professional name used by artists, poets and writers in the Sinosp ...

Yi Tian (宜田), was a Chinese

Noble A noble is a member of the nobility. Noble may also refer to: Places Antarctica * Noble Glacier, King George Island * Noble Nunatak, Marie Byrd Land * Noble Peak, Wiencke Island * Noble Rocks, Graham Land Australia * Noble Island, Gr ...

and government official of the

Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing, was a Manchu-led Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China and an early modern empire in East Asia. The last imperial dynasty in Chinese history, the Qing dynasty was preceded by the ...

, notable for being the

Viceroy of Zhili The Viceroy of Zhili, officially in Chinese as the Governor-General of the Directly Subordinate Province and Other Local Areas, in Charge of Military Affairs, Food and Wages, Management of Rivers and Governor Affairs, was one of eight regional ...

Early life and family origins

Fang Guancheng was born in

Tongcheng County Tongcheng () is the governmental seat and the name of a county in Xianning City, Hubei, People's Republic of China, bordering the provinces of Jiangxi (to the east) and Hunan (to the south and west). History The Red 16th Army, stationed at th ...

Anhui Province Anhui is an inland province located in East China. Its provincial capital and largest city is Hefei. The province is located across the basins of the Yangtze and Huai rivers, bordering Jiangsu and Zhejiang to the east, Jiangxi to the south, Hub ...

in the

Qing Empire The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing, was a Manchu-led Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China and an early modern empire in East Asia. The last imperial dynasty in Chinese history, the Qing dynasty was preceded by the ...

. The Fang family of Tongcheng was notable for its many scholars and authors. He was the second son of Fang Shiji, an official of the ''Ministry of the Principal'' (官至工部主事). His elder brother was Fang Guanyong (方观永). His paternal grandfather was Fang Dengfeng (方登峄) and his paternal great-grandfather was Fang Xiaobiao (方孝标).

Nanshan Case

The Nanshan Case occurred in 1713, the fifth year of the

Kangxi Emperor The Kangxi Emperor (4 May 165420 December 1722), also known by his temple name Emperor Shengzu of Qing, personal name Xuanye, was the third emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the second Qing emperor to rule over China proper. His reign of 61 ...

. The incident marked a period of literary inquisition that targeted various scholars with real or perceived loyalties to competing claimants to the throne and to the previous Ming dynasty. Both Fang's father and grandfather were caught up in the action resulting in the

exile Exile or banishment is primarily penal expulsion from one's native country, and secondarily expatriation or prolonged absence from one's homeland under either the compulsion of circumstance or the rigors of some high purpose. Usually persons ...

of both to

Heilongjiang Heilongjiang is a province in northeast China. It is the northernmost and easternmost province of the country and contains China's northernmost point (in Mohe City along the Amur) and easternmost point (at the confluence of the Amur and Us ...

. Due to their young age, Fang and his brother were not subjected to the same exile and were instead sent to be raised by monks from the Qingliang Temple. Following the exile of their paternal support structure, the brothers were forced to travel great distances overland from the capital at

Nanjing Nanjing or Nanking is the capital of Jiangsu, a province in East China. The city, which is located in the southwestern corner of the province, has 11 districts, an administrative area of , and a population of 9,423,400. Situated in the Yang ...

to Heilongjiang beyond the

Great Wall The Great Wall of China (, literally "ten thousand Li (unit), ''li'' long wall") is a series of fortifications in China. They were built across the historical northern borders of ancient Chinese states and Imperial China as protection agains ...

for family gatherings.

Political career

In 1749, Fang Guancheng was made the

, a position he would hold until his demise. In addition to this title, he was also granted the title of Governor of Shaanxi and Gansu Provinces, a title he held until 1755.

Descendants and legacy

Fang Guancheng had one son, Fang Weidian who became the Governor of Fukien and the Governor of Zhejiang. Fang's nephew, Fang Shouchou, the son of Fang's brother Fang Guanyong served as

. His grandson Fang Chuanmu continued to become a Qing prefect.

Early life and family origins

Nanshan Case

Political career

Descendants and legacy

References

Further reading