Famous Chinese Intellectuals & Academics

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 1 
Confucius
(Chinese Philosopher and Political Theorist)
Confucius
16
Birthdate: 0551 BC
Birthplace: Lu, Shandong, China
Died: April 11, 0479

Confucius was a Chinese philosopher whose philosophy came to be known as Confucianism. Confucianism is often credited with shaping Chinese communities and East Asian societies. Confucius is considered one of the most influential individuals in the history of mankind as his teachings have had a great impact on people around the world. His philosophy continues to remain influential.

 2 
Sun Tzu
(Chinese Military Strategist, Writer and Philosopher)
Sun Tzu
7
Birthdate: 0544 AD
Birthplace: Qi, China
Died: 0496 AD
Sun Tzu was a Chinese general from the Eastern Zhou period. He is known to have written The Art of War, which propagated various alternatives to battles, such as alliances and use of spies, to win wars. He is said to be the same as Sun Wu and Sun Bin.
 3 
Lao Tzu (Laozi)
(Ancient Chinese Philosopher and Writer)
Lao Tzu (Laozi)
6
Birthdate: 0571 BC
Birthplace: Chu, China
Died: 0471 BC
Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu, or Laozi, who is said to have lived in 6th-century BC by some and in the 4th-century BC by others, wrote the Tao Te Ching. He founded Taoism and is a legendary figure or deity. The Tang Dynasty emperors claimed he had founded their lineage.
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 4 
Liu Xiaobo
(Chinese Human Rights Activist and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate)
Liu Xiaobo
5
Birthdate: December 28, 1955
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Changchun, China
Died: July 13, 2017

Liu Xiaobo was a Chinese activist, literary critic, and philosopher. He is best remembered for organizing campaigns that aimed at ending the one-party rule in China. He was honored with the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize for his struggle for human rights in China. Liu is the first Chinese citizen to be honored with a Nobel Prize while residing in China.

 5 
Budai
(Buddhist monk)
Budai
6
Birthplace: China
Died: 0916 BC

Legendary 10th-century Chinese monk Budai, is better known as The Laughing Buddha and The Fat Buddha. Named after the “budai” or cloth sack that he carried with him, he was considered an avatar of Maitreya, or the future Buddha. His figures adorn many homes, as a symbol of prosperity and contentment.

 6 
Tu Youyou
(chemist, pharmacologist, inventor, university teacher)
Tu Youyou
5
Birthdate: December 30, 1930
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Ningbo

Chinese phytochemist and malariologist Tu Youyou is best remembered for her Nobel Prize-winning discovery of the anti-malarial drug qinghaosu, or artemisinin. She is the first Chinese female Nobel laureate. A tuberculosis infection in her younger days had inspired her to step into medicine. She later studied traditional Chinese medicine, too.

 7 
Sima Qian
(Chinese Historian and Astrologer)
Sima Qian
3
Birthdate: 0145 AD
Birthplace: Hejin, Yuncheng, China
Died: 0086 AD

The first noted Chinese historian, Sima Qian is best remembered for authoring the history of China titled Shiji. The son of Sima Tan, a court historian of the Han dynasty, Qian traveled widely and was also responsible for modifying the Chinese calendar. He was later castrated for defaming Emperor Wu.

 8 
Mencius
(Chinese Confucian Philosopher)
Mencius
4
Birthdate: 0372 AD
Birthplace: Zoucheng, China
Died: 0289 AD

Mencius was a Chinese philosopher who idolized Confucius’ philosophy. Often referred to as the second Sage, after Confucius himself, Mencius is credited with further developing Confucius' ideology. Mencius is also credited with teaching many students, some of whom went on to become influential philosophers in their own right. Mencius is regarded as one of the most influential persons in history.

 9 
Deng Xiaoping
(Politician)
Deng Xiaoping
19
Birthdate: August 22, 1904
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Guang'an, China
Died: February 19, 1997
Deng Xiaoping led the People's Republic of China from 1978 to 1989. He ordered a crackdown on the Tiananmen Square protestors in 1989, leading to the June Fourth Massacre. However, he also earned the tag of the "Architect of Modern China" for ushering in a market economy in the country.
 10 
Run Run Shaw
(Hong Kong Philanthropist and Entertainment Mogul)
Run Run Shaw
3
Birthdate: November 23, 1907
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Ningbo, China
Died: January 7, 2014
 11 
Mozi
(Chinese Essayist and Philosopher)
Mozi
3
Birthdate: 0470 AD
Birthplace: Tengzhou, Shandong Province
Died: 0391 AD

Fifth-century BC Chinese philosopher Mozi was the founder of the Mohism school of philosophy. He propagated universal and undifferentiated love, or jianai. Though originally a believer of Confucianism, he later drifted away from it owing to its ritualistic and elitist nature, and formed his own movement, which was more people-oriented.

 12 
Su Shi
(Chinese Poet, Essayist, Politician, Calligrapher and Painter)
Su Shi
3
Birthdate: January 8, 1037
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Meishan, China
Died: August 24, 1101

Su Shi was a Chinese writer, calligrapher, poet, painter, gastronome, pharmacologist, and politician who lived during the Song dynasty. He played a major role in the political affairs of the Song dynasty. He is credited with producing some of the best-known poems, prose, and essays and is considered one of the most decorated personalities in classical Chinese literature.

 13 
Zhou Youguang
(Chinese economist and linguist)
Zhou Youguang
4
Birthdate: January 13, 1906
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Changzhou, Jiangsu, Qing dynasty Qing Empire
Died: January 14, 2017

Best remembered for creating a new writing system that allows Mandarin to be written in Roman alphabets, Chinese economist Zhou Youguang started working on the project in 1955, reaching his goal after three years of labor. Known as Father of Pinyin, he has also authored forty books, most notable among them being The Historical Evolution of Chinese Languages and Scripts.

 14 
Mao Anqing
(Chinese Writer and Translator)
Mao Anqing
3
Birthdate: November 2, 1923
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Changsha, Republic of China
Died: March 23, 2007
 15 
Wang Mang
(Emperor)
Wang Mang
3
Birthdate: 0045 BC
Birthplace: Wei Commandery
Died: October 6, 0023

Known as Shehuangdi, or The Usurper Emperor, 1st-century Chinese monarch Wang Mang was initially a Han dynasty official. He seized the Chinese throne from the Liu family of the Han dynasty, to form his own short-lived reign, also known as the Xin dynasty. He was later overthrown.

 16 
Zhuang Zhou
(Chinese Philosopher)
Zhuang Zhou
6
Birthdate: 0369 AD
Birthplace: Shangqiu, Henan province, China
Died: 0286 AD

Known as the author of the Zhuangzi, one of the seminal texts of Daoism, or Taoism, Zhuang Zhou, or Master Zhuang, was a 4th-century BC Chinese philosopher. He was said to be eccentric and unkempt, though his works inspired Chinese Buddhism and Chinese art to a great extent.

 17 
Shang Yang
Shang Yang
3

Fourth-century BC Chinese Legalist philosopher Shang Yang was largely responsible for the unification of the Chinese empire under the Qin dynasty. His policies as a statesman included compulsory military service and centralization of governors. He also encouraged people to spy on each other. He was brutally executed by Duke Xiao’s successor.

 18 
Li Si
(philosopher)
Li Si
3
Birthdate: 0280 BC
Birthplace: Cai
Died: September 30, 0208

Third-century BC Chinese philosopher and statesman Li Si propagated the philosophy of Legalism. While serving as a minister under Shihuangdi of the Qin dynasty, the first sovereign ruler of China, he pushed for standardized writing and coinage systems. He was, however, criticized for burning books of Confucian history.

 19 
Lin Yutang
(One of the Most Well-Known Twentieth-Century Chinese Writers)
Lin Yutang
3
Birthdate: October 10, 1895
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Banzai, Fujian, Zhangzhou, China
Died: March 26, 1976

Son of a Christian minister, Lin Yutang was initially supposed to join the ministry but later rejected Christianity to become a professor. His works include several Chinese and English books, such as Moment in Peking. He also introduced the concept of satire magazines in China with Lunyu banyuekan.

 20 
Hu Shih
(Chinese Ambassador to the United States from 1938 to 1942)
Hu Shih
3
Birthdate: December 17, 1891
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Jiangsu Province, Qing China
Died: February 24, 1962
 21 
Ban Zhao
(Chinese Historian, Philosopher, and Politician)
Ban Zhao
3
Birthdate: 0049 AD
Birthplace: Shaanxi, China
Died: 0120 AD

Ban Zhao was a Chinese historian, politician, and philosopher. Remembered for her immense contribution to the Book of Han, Ban Zhao was the first known female historian in the history of China. Widely regarded as China's most popular female scholar, Ban Zhao also had an interest in mathematics and astronomy. She also gained political influence by teaching Empress Deng Sui.

 22 
Chen Duxiu
(Chinese Politician)
Chen Duxiu
3
Birthdate: October 8, 1879
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Anqing, China
Died: May 27, 1942

A co-founder and major leader of the Chinese Communist Party, Chen Duxiu is remembered for his association with the May Fourth Movement. Known as China’s Lenin among his followers, he also contributed to the revolution to overthrow the Qing government and promoted vernacular Chinese through the periodical New Youth.

 23 
Zhu Xi
Zhu Xi
3
Birthplace: Youxi County

Song dynasty Chinese philosopher and historian Zhu Xi propagated a revival of Confucianism against the popular trends of Buddhism and Taoism. He had cleared the civil services at 18 and had started his career as a registrar. He is remembered for editing the civil service texts The Four Books.

 24 
Huineng
(Religious leader)
Huineng
3
Birthdate: 0638 AD
Birthplace: Xinxing County, Yunfu, China
Died: 0713 AD

Legendary Chinese Zen Buddhism patriarch Huineng is regarded as the founder of the Southern School, which believes in sudden enlightenment, as opposed to the gradual enlightenment of the Northern School. Initially a firewood peddler, he later became a monk. His teachings are collected in the Platform Sutra.

 25 
Xun Kuang
(Philosopher)
Xun Kuang
3
Birthdate: 0310 BC
Birthplace: Zhao, China
Died: 0235 BC
 26 
Wang Yangming
(Chinese Calligrapher, Philosopher, Writer, Politician, and General)
Wang Yangming
3
Birthdate: October 26, 1472
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Yuyao, Zhejiang Province
Died: January 9, 1529
 27 
Shen Kuo
(physicist, cartographer, mathematician, astronomer, poet)
Shen Kuo
3
Birthdate: 1031 AD
Birthplace: Hangzhou, China
Died: 1095 AD

Shen Kuo was an eleventh century Chinese statesman and polymath, best remembered for authoring Mengxi bitan. Initially employed with central government, he had a successful career before he was banished on false charges, a move that allowed him to produce several scholarly books on mathematics, music, astronomy, calendars, cartography, geology, optics and medicine, out of which many were later purged.

 28 
Han Fei
(Chinese Philosopher and Essayist)
Han Fei
3
Birthdate: 0280 BC
Birthplace: Han, China
Died: 0233 BC

Chinese philosopher Han Fei is remembered for his iconic work Han Feizi, which is an ancient text containing Fei’s essays that reflect the Legalist tradition. It is believed he suffered from a speech defect, which encouraged him to write. King Zheng of Qin later adopted most of Fei’s philosophies.

 29 
Kang Youwei
(Chinese Philosopher and Political Thinker in the Late Qing Dynasty)
Kang Youwei
3
Birthdate: March 19, 1858
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Nanhai District, Foshan, China
Died: March 31, 1927

Qing dynasty reformer Kang Youwei was associated with the Reform Movement of 1898. Though he initially admired Western civilization, opened schools, and even attempted to abolish foot-binding of women, he later became a staunch supporter of Confucianism and opposed blind westernization. He fled to Japan after the reform movement failed.

 30 
Zhang Sanfeng
Zhang Sanfeng
3

Better known as the founder of the Chinese martial art Taiji Quan, or Tai Chi, Zhang Sanfeng is part of Chinese folklore. He has been portrayed widely in Chinese art and media, including wuxia novels and series. The Chinese believe the legendary Taoist was immortal and had supernatural powers.

 31 
Li Shizhen
(Chinese Pharmacologist and Scholar Who Compiled the Treatise Compendium of Materia Medica)
Li Shizhen
2
Birthdate: July 3, 1518
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Qizhouzhen, Huanggang, China
Died: 1593 AD

Chinese pharmacologist and scholar of the Ming dynasty Li Shizhen is remembered for his elaborate compilation Compendium of Materia Medica, which offered descriptions of over 1,000 drugs and provided instructions for about 11,000 prescriptions. His book was a benchmark in Chinese medicine and was translated into several languages.

 32 
Han Yu
(Historian)
Han Yu
2
Birthdate: 0768 AD
Birthplace: Nanyang, China
Died: December 25, 0824
 33 
Wang Anshi
(Chinese Economist, Philosopher, Poet, and Politician During the 'Song Dynasty')
Wang Anshi
2
Birthdate: December 8, 1021
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Linchuan, China
Died: May 21, 1086

Wang Anshi was a Chinese author and political reformer who implemented the New Laws. After clearing his civil services examination, he worked as an administrator for 2 decades. He later served as the Chancellor of Song Dynasty and initiated reforms against nepotism and private monopolies in the country.

 34 
Yi-Fu Tuan
(Chinese-born American Geographer Who was One of the Most Prominent Originators of Humanistic Geography)
Yi-Fu Tuan
0
Birthdate: December 5, 1930
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Tianjin, China

Yi-Fu Tuan was a Chinese-born American geographer best remembered for his association with the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he served as an emeritus professor. One of the most prominent originators of humanistic geography, Yi-Fu Tuan received several prestigious awards, such as the Vautrin Lud Prize and the Cullum Geographical Medal.

 35 
Toqto'a
(Historian)
Toqto'a
2
Birthdate: 1314 AD
Birthplace: China
Died: January 10, 1355
 36 
Sima Guang
(Scholar)
Sima Guang
2
Birthdate: November 17, 1019
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Guangshan, China
Died: October 11, 1086

Song dynasty scholar and historian Sima Guang is remembered for his iconic work Zizhi Tongjian, which is still considered one of the most detailed Chinese historical works. He studied Confucian classics and also wrote poetry. Legends state how he had saved a friend from drowning by breaking a water tank.

 37 
Ge Hong
(Scholar)
Ge Hong
2
Birthdate: 0283 AD
Birthplace: China
Died: 0343 AD
 38 
Cai Yuanpei
(Chinese Philosopher and Politician Who Was an Influential Figure in the History of Chinese Modern Education)
Cai Yuanpei
2
Birthdate: January 11, 1868
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Shaoxing, China
Died: March 5, 1940

Cai Yuanpei was a Chinese politician and philosopher. He was also an influential educationalist and played a crucial role in China's modern education. Among his several contributions to education reform in China is his work in the Peking University, where he served as the president. He is also credited with founding Academia Sinica, the national academy of Taiwan.

 39 
Zhao Mengfu
(Chinese Painter, Calligrapher, and Scholar )
Zhao Mengfu
2
Birthdate: October 20, 1254
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Huzhou, China
Died: July 30, 1322
 40 
Yang Zhu
(Philosopher)
Yang Zhu
2
Birthdate: 0440 AD
Birthplace: China
Died: 0360 AD
 41 
Dong Zhongshu
(Philosopher)
Dong Zhongshu
2
Birthdate: 0179 AD
Birthplace: Hengshui, China
Died: 0104 AD
 42 
Guo Moruo
(Chinese Author, Poet, Historian, Archaeologist, and Government Official)
Guo Moruo
2
Birthdate: November 16, 1892
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Leshan, China
Died: June 12, 1978

Chinese archaeologist and scholar Guo Moruo left his Chinese wife and moved to Japan, where he studied medicine and met his second wife. Noted for works such as Nü shen, he was targeted during the Cultural Revolution and said his works should be burned for failing to understand Mao.

 43 
Ouyang Xiu
(Essayist)
Ouyang Xiu
2
Birthdate: August 1, 1007
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Sichuan, China
Died: September 22, 1072
 44 
Fan Zhongyan
(Chinese Poet, Politician, Philosopher and Writer Known for His CI Poetry)
Fan Zhongyan
2
Birthdate: September 5, 0989
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Suzhou, China
Died: June 19, 1052

Song dynasty scholar Fan Zhongyan rose up to be the kingdom’s chancellor and fought against corruption. He is known for his iconic saying “Be the first to care for the nation’s fate and the last to enjoy its comforts.” Though he owned a profitable farm, he spent a lot on charity.

 45 
Zengzi
(Philosopher)
Zengzi
2
Birthdate: 0505 AD
Birthplace: Lu, China
Died: 0435 AD
 46 
Ian Barbour
(Scholar)
Ian Barbour
2
Birthdate: October 5, 1923
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Beijing, China
Died: December 24, 2013
 47 
Hu Hanmin
(Chinese Philosopher and Politician)
Hu Hanmin
2
Birthdate: December 9, 1879
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Guangdong, China
Died: May 12, 1936

Educated in Japan, Hu Hanmin had initially been part of the United League and later became Sun Yat-sen’s secretary. Hu later chaired the Nationalist Party and also became the president of the Legislative Yüan. He believed individual rights depended on a person’s participation in the national interest.

 48 
Fei Xiaotong
(Anthropologist)
Fei Xiaotong
2
Birthdate: November 2, 1910
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Wujiang District, Suzhou, China
Died: April 24, 2005
 49 
Zhou Dunyi
(Philosopher)
Zhou Dunyi
2
Birthdate: 1017 AD
Birthplace: Hunan, China
Died: 1073 AD
 50 
Guo Xiang
(Chinese philosopher)
Guo Xiang
2
Birthdate: 0252 AD
Birthplace: Luoyang, China
Died: 0312 AD