Study On Cai Xianchen And His Qing Bai Tang Gao In The Ming Dynasty

CAI,XIAN-CHEN(1563-1641),known as CAI,TI-GUO,also called CAI,XU-TAI,was born in Pingling,Weizhou(now called Qionglin village,Kinmen county)in Tong'an county,Fujian Province.In The sixteenth year of Wanli(1588),during the Ming Dynasty,he achieved second place in a township test.In the following year,he came in sixth place in the royal administration test.He served as a leader of the crime department in Nanjing.He taught for twenty years at his home in later life.He created such works as “QING BAI TANG GAO” as well as others.“QING BAI TANG GAO” not only has the version from Chongzhen,Ming Dynasty,but also has a version from the clansman of Qionglin.Mr.Cai grew up in a remote area where poetry were not widely spread,so the famous scholars and critics did not value his collection of poems.CAI,XIAN-CHEN's ancestral home is Yan.His ancestors lived in Qionglin for generations,their family reputation can traced back to CAI,BIAO-SHIH.For three generations of they achieved success in the imperial examination.Researching his intercourse with WANG SHI ZHEN?SHANG TANG XIAN ZU and HE QIAO YUAN and so on could make up for the study on WANG and TANG's.CAI,XIAN-CHEN grew up on an island,and he used to be appointed to sea patrol.Therefore,he had a unique perspective of maritime defense.He emphasized the significance of building the fortress along with offensive weaponry.He believed attack was the best form of defense so he opposed the withdrawal the army from Penghu area resolutely.He proposed the connection between the stereotypical zhi yi theory and ancient writings,reviewing each Ming Dynasty's rigid definitions with a more flexible viewpoint.Mr.CAI was also a theoretical scholar.In the early stages,he inherited the theories of previous neo-Confucianism scholars from the Ming dynasty in Quanzhou.Later,he changed to support the theory of “ Committed to conscience” by Wang Yangming,which originated from Confucius and Mencius.In literature,he advocates that a good article should be matched with the actual situation,such as the ability to solve social problems and stengthen the country.He was keen on SHAO YONG and SU SHI's works.With his special vision,he appreciated“Yichuan Jihuai collection” from the perspective of a poet,thus shortening the distance between theory and literature.He got a poets name when he was a teenager,and his creative period spanned over sixty years.He regarded writing ideal as the essence of poetry.His poems usually inferred personal idealism and national security,especially the resistance to enemies,conveyed the patriotic sentiment and his conerns on Chinese maritime security.People living and working in peace and harmony was his dream.Eight members from three generations of Qionglin Cai's family are famous for writing poetry.It is of great significance for Kinmen's culture and literature.His ancient prose narration features argumentation with deep insight,sentimental and truly meaningful epitaphs and mourning memorial texts.His way of writing is vigorous and heroic,his form of wording is natural and fluent.?Appendix?—?“QING BAI TANG GAO”??Relatives version??Comment correction??Study on CAI,XIAN-CHEN and His Qing Bai Tang Gao in the Ming Dynasty?is the the first research on CAI,XIAN-CHEN,if it can be published in the future,it must be the first monogragh on Cai in mainland and Taiwan.