Wang Wei

Wang Wei (simplified Chinese: 王维; traditional Chinese: 王維; pinyin: Wáng Wéi, courtesy name traditional Chinese: 摩诘; pinyin: Mojie, also known as Wang Youcheng) (701–761) was a Tang Dynasty Chinese poet, musician, painter, and statesman. He was one of the most famous men of arts and letters of his time. His paintings survive only in later copies by other artists, but numerous poems are preserved and some were included in the highly influential 18t... more

Wang Wei (simplified Chinese: 王维; traditional Chinese: 王維; pinyin: Wáng Wéi, courtesy name traditional Chinese: 摩诘; pinyin: Mojie, also known as Wang Youcheng) (701–761) was a Tang Dynasty Chinese poet, musician, painter, and statesman. He was one of the most famous men of arts and letters of his time. His paintings survive only in later copies by other artists, but numerous poems are preserved and some were included in the highly influential 18th century anthology, Three Hundred Tang Poems. Originally from Qi (Modern day Qi County of Shanxi), Wang Wei moved to PuZhou (today Yong Ji, Shanxi). He was of Han ethnicity. Born into an aristocratic family, Wang Wei passed the civil service entrance examination in 721 with being awarded Zhuang Yuan (placing first in the examination) and had a successful civil service career, rising to become Chancellor in 758. During the An Lushan Rebellion he avoided actively serving the insurgents during the capital's occupation by pretending to be deaf;... less