Wang Qi's hometown unveils its mysterious veil... is he the second person after Xu Guangqi to "open his eyes and see the world"? From Minhang Hua Cao Guan to Shaanxi Buzheng | Jiangnan | Minhang Hua
In the northern part of Huacao Town in Minhang District, there used to be a famous plum blossom appreciation destination in Jiangnan, known as the "Plum Blossom Source". Famous scholar Wang Qi of the Ming Dynasty lived in seclusion here and wrote magnificent works such as "Continuation of Literature Comprehensive Examination", "Three Talents Illustrated Society", and "Compilation of Bare History". Later, he was included in the "Continuation of the Complete Library of Four Treasuries" and made significant contributions to the inheritance of Chinese culture
"Wang Qi is the second person in the Jiangnan region, following Xu Guangqi, to accept 'Western learning' and 'broaden one's eyes to see the world.' Recently, in Zhaojia Village, Huacao Town, Minhang District, the Minhang District Political Consultative Conference and Shanghai Federation of Social Sciences jointly hosted the 'Suzhou River First Village and Wang Qi' Liangba Elegant Collection. Experts and scholars from universities and cultural research institutions such as the Municipal Academy of Social Sciences, Fudan University, East China Normal University, and Shanghai Bookstore Publishing House interpreted and discussed Wang Qi's life and the impact of his writings from their respective professional fields.".
A plaque was also unveiled on site for the exhibition hall of the first village in Suzhou River, Wang Qi's hometown. It is reported that Zhaojia Village, known as the "first village of Suzhou River", is located in Huacao Town, Minhang District, Shanghai. It is adjacent to Suzhou River to the north, across the river from Jiading District, and adjacent to Qingpu District to the west, at the junction of the three districts. The newly unveiled exhibition hall covers a total area of 400 square meters and is divided into five sections: "Growing in this place", "Being upright and upright as an official", "Returning to Wu Song", "Influence of Later Generations", and "Homeland and Present Life". It describes Wang Qi's life and his works, as well as today's Zhaojia Village and tomorrow's Hongqiao Qianwan.
Wang Qi, with the character Yuan Han. The Biography of Wang Qi in the History of the Ming Dynasty records that Wang Qi, a scholar in the forty fourth year of Jiajing, was awarded the Supervisor of the County of Qingjiang and transferred the Supervisor of the County of Wan'an. Promoted to the position of imperial censor, at odds with the current prime minister, he left the capital as an inspector in Fujian, and was demoted to the position of judge in Qiongzhou. He has successively served as the Supervisor of the County of Jinxian County and Caoxian County, the magistrate of Kaizhou, and the official of Shaanxi Provincial People's Government. Later, Wang Qi requested to return home to take care of his parents and built a room by the Wusong River. He planted ten thousand plum trees around the room and named it "Plum Blossom Source". His profession was to write books. Although he was over seventy years old, he continued to write books day and night until the third shift.
"Sancai Tuhui" is known as the first encyclopedia style illustrated book in China, which was jointly written by Wang Qi and his son Wang Siyi. It was written on the 35th day of the Wanli reign and consists of 108 volumes. "Three talents" refer to heaven, earth, and human beings. The content of this book ranges from astronomy to geography, with a focus on characters. It is divided into 14 categories, including astronomy, geography, characters, seasons, palaces, utensils, body, clothing, personnel, ritual systems, treasures, literature and history, birds and animals, and plants and trees. Each subject is divided into volumes, with a wide range of materials. The recorded items are illustrated first and then discussed, with illustrations and text as evidence. There are over 4000 printmaking images, including 596 character portraits.
At the elegant collection that day, Professor Li Tiangang from the Philosophy Department of Fudan University believed that "The Three Talents Map Society" was a representative work of cultural prosperity, academic progress, and leading thinking in the Jiangnan region during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Wang Qi, Wang Siyi, and his son, as well as "The Three Talents Map Society", were representatives of academic modernization and globalization in Shanghai. The "Complete Map of Mountains, Seas, and Geography" in the "Sancai Tuhui" is recorded from Matteo Ricci and Li Zhizao's "Complete Map of All Nations and Kun", which has made a great breakthrough in worldview. Wang Qi and Wang Siyi were very open-minded in abandoning the "round sky and round earth" natural philosophy and readily accepted the "round earth theory". "Wang Qi was the second person from Jiangnan to accept 'Western learning' and 'open his eyes to the world' after Xu Guangqi."
Shao Jian, a researcher at the Institute of History of the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, stated that Huacao Town is committed to promoting the construction of new rural areas and has turned Zhaojia Village into a city level demonstration village for beautiful countryside, which is in line with its reputation as the "First Village of Suzhou River". This is a historical business card spanning 500 years, as well as a cultural business card spanning both sides of the Pujiang River. As the hometown of Wang Qi, the local government has developed Wang Qi into an IP in Zhaojia Village, Huacao Town, Minhang District, and even Shanghai, which will provide assistance for the local economic, social, and cultural development.
Professor Fang Xiaoyi from the Chinese Department of East China Normal University suggested that Wang Qi was an outstanding Ming Dynasty scholar who went out of Huacao and eventually returned to Huacao. The scholar culture and spirit he embodied were important directions for the future development of Huacao's cultural and tourism industry. He could select poems and writings depicting or involving his hometown, fully tap into his "plum blossom source" imagery, combine it with ancient Chinese literati plum blossom culture, and cooperate with the image of the first village of Suzhou River to promote the development of Huacao's cultural and tourism industry.
Sun Yu, the president of Shanghai Bookstore Publishing House, shared "Wang Qi's Life and the Compilation of the Complete Works of Wang Qi", proposing that Wang Qi's writings provide very intuitive and vivid materials for understanding the daily lives of ancient people and studying the Ming Dynasty's fortifications, utensils, attire, and ceremonial guard systems. He revealed that currently, Shanghai Bookstore Publishing House and Huacao Town are collaborating to compile a 15 million word complete collection of Wang Qi, hoping to further develop and innovate on the basis of the compilation by predecessors and sages.
Zhu Xuejun, Chairman of the Minhang District Political Consultative Conference, stated that Wang Qi, as an important historical figure, is the business card of Minhang's history. We need to deeply explore, inherit, and showcase the cultural resources related to Wang Qi. At the same time, we need to plan and build Zhaojia Village well, making it a fashionable village by the Suzhou River, further developing resources, strengthening civil exchanges, and continuously enhancing the international influence of the "Suzhou River First Village".
