Yuan Xingpei (; ; born April 18, 1936) is a Chinese scholar, educator, author, and political leader, known for his public service and publications on

Chinese literature The history of Chinese literature extends thousands of years, and begins with the earliest recorded inscriptions, court archives, building to the major works of philosophy and history written during the Axial Age. The Han dynasty, Han (202 ...

, particularly for his studies of Six Dynasties period poet

Tao Yuanming Tao Yuanming (365–427), also known as Tao Qian, courtesy name Yuanliang (元亮), was a Chinese poet and politician. He was one of the best-known poets who lived during the Six Dynasties period. Tao Yuanming spent much of his life in reclusi ...

. Yuan has been a professor of

Peking University Peking University (PKU) is a Public university, public Types of universities and colleges in China#By designated academic emphasis, university in Haidian, Beijing, China. It is affiliated with and funded by the Ministry of Education of the Peop ...

since 1957.

Life and career

Yuan was born in 1936 in

Jinan Jinan is the capital of the province of Shandong in East China. With a population of 9.2 million, it is one of the largest cities in Shandong in terms of population. The area of present-day Jinan has played an important role in the history of ...

. He attended

as an undergraduate student, graduating in 1957 from the school's Department of Chinese Language and Literature with a B.A. degree. The department hired him as an instructor immediately following his graduation, where he has remained ever since. In addition to his teaching and publications on Chinese literature, Yuan has served in various areas of Chinese politics. Yuan has been a member of the

China Democratic League The China Democratic League (CDL) is one of the eight minor democratic parties in the People's Republic of China under the direction of the Chinese Communist Party. The CDL was originally founded in 1941 as a pro-democracy umbrella coalition g ...

since 1987, and has served as its vice-chairman since 1997. He served on the

Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference The Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) is a political advisory body in the People's Republic of China and a central part of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)'s United front (China), united front system. Its members adv ...

from 1998 to 2003.China Vitae biography of Yuan Xingpei

Selected works

* Yuan, Xingpei, ed.-in-chief (1963). ''Wei-Jin Nanbeichao wenxue shi cankao ziliao'' 魏晋南北朝文学史参考资料 'Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties Literary History Reference Materials'' Beijing: Zhonghua shuju. * — — — and Hou Zhongyi 侯中义 (1981). ''Zhongguo wenyan xiaoshuo shumu'' 中国文言小说书目 'Index of Classical Chinese Fiction'' Beijing: Beijing daxue chubanshe. * — — — (1987). ''Zhongguo shige yishu yanjiu'' 中国诗歌艺术研究 'Studies on the Artistics of Chinese Poetry'' Beijing: Beijing daxue chubanshe; revised edition (1996). * — — — (1997). ''Tao Yuanming yanjiu'' 陶渊明研究 'Studies on Tao Yuanming'' Beijing: Beijing daxue chubanshe. * — — —, ed.-in-chief (1999). ''Zhongguo wenxue shi'' 中国文学史 'History of Chinese Literature'' 4 vols. Beijing: Gaodeng jiaoyu chubanshe. * — — —, et al., eds.-in chief (2006). ''Zhongguo wenming shi'' 中国文明史 'History of Chinese Civilization'' 4 vols. Beijing: Beijing daxue chubanshe. English edition (2012), English text edited by David R. Knechtges, ''The History of Chinese Civilization'', 4 vols. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

References

;Notes ;Works cited *Hanban News
About Mr. Yuan XingpeiChina Vitae – Biography of Yuan Xingpei
{{DEFAULTSORT:Yuan, Xingpei 1936 births Living people Academic staff of Peking University Peking University alumni Educators from Shandong Writers from Jinan 20th-century Chinese historians Historians from Shandong Presidents of Central Research Institute of Culture and History