Cai Lun (?-121)
The inventor of papermaking in the Eastern Han Dynasty. A native of Leiyang, Hunan. He once held the posts of Zhong Changshi and Shang Fangling. In the first year of the Yuan Dynasty (AD 114), he was granted the title of Marquis of Longting. He invented papermaking using bark, hemp heads, rags and old fishing nets as raw materials. In the first year of Yuanxing (AD 105), he reported it to the court and popularized it among the people. It was known as "Caihou Paper". "Book of the Later Han Dynasty. Biography of Cai Lun": "Since ancient times, deeds have mostly been compiled with bamboo slips; those made of silk are called paper. The silk is expensive and simple and heavy, and is not convenient for people. Lun is a creative idea, using tree skin, hemp and hemp. The head, cloth, and fishing net were used as paper."
Ouyang Xun (557-641)
Tang calligrapher. A native of Changsha, Hunan. From the official to the crown prince, he led Gengling and became a bachelor of Hongwen Hall, and was granted the title of male from Bohai County. I studied calligraphy from the two kings [Wang Xizhi and Wang Xianzhi]. I am very vigorous and sharp, but I can see the danger in the middle of peace. It is self-contained and is known as "European body". He was one of the four great calligraphers in the early Tang Dynasty. The inscriptions include the official script "Jiucheng Palace Liquan Ming", "Huadu Temple Stele", "Yu Gonggong Stele", "Huangfu's Birthday Stele", official script "Fang Yanqian Stele", etc. His cursive scripts include "Zhang Han", "Bu Shang", "Chu Dian" and other texts, and he compiled "Yi Wen Lei Ju".
Zhou Dunyi (1017-1073)
Philosopher of the Northern Song Dynasty. A native of Daoxian County, Hunan. He once served as the Prime Minister of Dali Temple and Doctor of Guozi. Because the house was built next to a stream at the foot of Lianhua Peak in Mount Lu, the room was named "Lianxi Bookstore", and later generations called him "Mr. Lianxi". He inherited the "Book of Changes", "The Doctrine of the Mean" and Taoist ideas, and relied on Taoist priest Chen Tuan's "Wuji Diagram" to propose a simple and systematic theory of the composition of the universe. The Tai Chi, Li, Qi, Xing, Ming, etc. he proposed became the basic categories of Neo-Confucianism in the Song and Ming Dynasties. He himself became one of the founders of Neo-Confucianism. His works include "Tai Chi Pictures", "Tong Shu", etc. Later generations compiled it into "The Complete Book of Zhouzi".
Wang Fuzhi (1619-1692)
A thinker in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. A native of Hengyang, Hunan. In his later years, he lived in Shichuanshan, Hengyang, and was known as "Mr. Chuanshan". After the fall of the Ming Dynasty, he raised troops to resist the Qing Dynasty, but was defeated. After that, he went into exile and returned to Hengyang to live in seclusion in the 14th year of Shunzhi (1657 AD). He devoted himself to reading and writing and made great academic achievements. He has studied astronomy, calendar, mathematics, and geography, and is especially good at philosophy, classics, history, literature, etc. Important works include "Zhouyi Waizhuan", "Shangshu Yinyi", "Reading the Four Books", "Zhang Zizheng Meng's Notes", "Si Wen Lu Internal and External Chapters", etc. Later generations compiled "Cuanshan's Posthumous Notes".
Zeng Guofan (1811-1872)
Minister and leader of the Hunan Army in the late Qing Dynasty. A native of Xiangxiang, Hunan. Daoguang Jinshi. He once served as cabinet bachelor and governor of Liangjiang. In 1853, in order to fight against the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, he was ordered to organize regiment training in Hunan. In January, he organized and trained the Army Division in Changsha. In September, he went to Hengyang to establish the Navy Division, which was later called the "Hunan Army". Soldiers are recruited by generals, and the recruited soldiers are required to obtain a bail bond. This pattern of "soldiers as generals" gives the "Hunan Army" a strong combat effectiveness. Zeng Guofan led the Hunan Army to fight against the Taiping Army and the Nian Army for more than ten years. In 1864, he sent Zeng Guoquan's troops to capture Tianjing (now Nanjing). Together with Li Hongzhang and Zuo Zongtang, he founded Shanghai Jiangnan Manufacturing Bureau, Fujian Mawei Shipping Bureau and other military industries. In 1870, the "religious case" in Tianjin was investigated and punished, and the people were favored by foreigners, which was condemned by public opinion. There is "The Complete Works of Zeng Wenzhenggong".
Qi Baishi (1864-1957) was a calligrapher and painter. Seal engraver. A native of Xiangtan, Hunan. In his early years, he worked as a carpenter. Later, he studied painting, poetry, calligraphy, and seal cutting, and made a living selling paintings and engravings. After the age of 60, his painting style changed suddenly, and he focused on creation, integrating traditional freehand painting and folk painting techniques to form a unique artistic style. He is good at painting flowers, birds, fish and shrimps, as well as figures and landscapes. On painting, "The beauty lies between similarity and dissimilarity." The seal cutting is straight down, vigorous and powerful. He once served as chairman of the Chinese Artists Association. In 1953, he was awarded the title of "People's Artist" by the Ministry of Culture. Received the 1955 International Peace Prize from the World Peace Council.
Tan Sitong (1865-1898)
A reformist politician and thinker in modern China. A native of Liuyang, Hunan. In his early years, he served as the governor of Xinjiang. After the Sino-Japanese War of 1898-1891, he was angry at China's weakness and advocated the establishment of a society in Liuyang. Later, he traveled to Beijing, Shanghai, and Nanjing to absorb new knowledge. In 1897, he assisted Hunan Governor Chen Baozhen and others to set up a financial school and prepare for new policies such as river shipping, mining, and railway construction. The following year, he advocated the establishment of the Southern Society and the establishment of the "Hunan News" to publicize the way of reforming and saving the country. In August, he was conscripted into Beijing and was appointed as the fourth-rank military official Zhang Jing to participate in the Reform Movement of 1898. He was killed in the September coup and was known as one of the "Six Gentlemen of 1898" in history.
There is "The Complete Works of Tan Sitong".
Huang Xing (1874-1916)
A modern democratic revolutionary in China. A native of Changsha, Hunan. In 1902, he was selected by Zhang Zhidong, the governor of Huguang, to study in Japan. After returning to China, he organized the Huaxing Society with Song Jiaoren and others, and was elected as the president. In 1904, he planned the Changsha Uprising but failed. The following year, he assisted Sun Yat-sen in establishing the Chinese Tongmenghui in Japan and served as chief secretary. Since 1907, he has participated in or directed the Qinlian Fangcheng Uprising, Zhennanguan (today's Youyiguan) Uprising, Yunnan Hekou Uprising, Guangzhou New Army Uprising, Huanghuagang Uprising, etc. After the Wuchang Uprising, he was promoted as the commander-in-chief of the revolutionary army and fought against the Qing army in Hankou and Hanyang. In 1912, the Nanjing Provisional Government was established and he served as Army Commander-in-Chief and Chief of Staff. In 1913, Yuan Shikai attempted to restore the monarchy, and Huang Xing was appointed commander-in-chief of Jiangsu's resistance to Yuan. After his failure, he went into exile in Japan. He died of illness after returning to Shanghai in 1916. There is "Huang Xing Collection".