Zheng Wenbao

Zheng Wenbao (953 - 1013), style name 仲賢 Zhongxian, was from 汀州寧化 Ninghua in western Fujian. A metropolitan graduate, he held a number of high official positions. He was a skilled poet and seal script calligrapher, and an accomplished qin player.

The information about Zheng Wenbao and his qin teacher Cui Yu ³ comes from a book by the monk Wen Ying.⁴ The book here is called Xu Xiangshan Yelu.⁵

The original Qinshi Bu essay is as follows.

Zheng Wenbao, style name Zhongxian, studied qin from Cui Yu. 德遵度 {?}. Cui said to 楊大年 Yang Danian (style name of 楊億 Yang Yi, 974 - 1020; 15489.742, a noted poet and member of the Hanlin academy), Zheng Zhongxian 彈琴恐古有之若今則無吾篋中畜琴朴.... .)

Footnotes (Shorthand references are explained on a separate page)

1. 40513.32; Bio. 1576 (Return)

2. Six lines (Return)

3. 崔諭 Cui Yu: 8405.xxx (Return)

4. Wen Ying 文瑩
Wen Ying (Bio/301), was a Song dynasty monk (僧 also called 釋 shi, Buddhist priest) from Hangzhou, style names 道溫 Daowen and 如晦 Ruhui. At one time he lived at a temple on Xiangshan, near West Lake; later he lived at a temple in 荊州 Jingzhou. He was a gifted poet who liked to collect books. A poem about his qin play is in Folio 19B, #87. He is said to have written a 湘山野錄 Xiangshan Yelu (see below). (Return)

5. Xiangshan Yelu 湘山野錄
The Song dynasty monk Wen Ying (see above) wrote a 湘山野錄 Xiangshan Yelu (18223.5). As for the 續湘山野錄 Continuation of Xiangshan Yelu, details are uncertain. The entry in Qinshu Daquan, Folio 16, #60, has the same information as here, adding some more at the beginning. However there the source there is given simply as Xiangshan Yelu. (Return)

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