A Brief Account Of "Five Elders And Seven Sages" In Sichuan

The term "Five Elders and Seven Sages" which was widely read referred to a group of gentlemen of lofty reputations. Who belonged to the Five Elders and Seven Sages changed as the time past, and the number of the members of this group also changed. All in one, there were several gentelmen of lower reputations than another gentlemen who were follow by they. Almost all of these gentlemen had earned high degrees in the Qing examination system. And most of them lived in Chengdu instead of going back to their hometowns in the Republic period. Because they didn't identify with the new local authority, they allways refused the invite from the rulers. And at last they all chose reclusion. So, to those men who tended to be new, they belonged to an "old" world.They wouldn't like to be officials, so some of them devoted themselves into charities. Yin Changling who managed CiHuiTang efficaciously was the most famouse one of them. After he died, not only he was regarded as an exemplar for his virtue, but also his charities were considered to be new and progressive. Throughout the Republic period in Sichuan , there were disasters every now and then. So the gentlemen often relieved the people. The others engaged in education and culture. They taught Chinese in the schools. They influenced the students in Sichuan to be good at Chinese at that time. The status of the Five Elders and Seven Sages was between the officials and the civilians, so they could communicate the policies and public feelings, and were regarded highly. Throughout the Republic period, Sichuan was alwayse at war, so theyoften appealed for peace.In30s, the Five Elders and Seven Sages began to decline. No gentleman might be generated was an important cause that resulted in this. When the one who lived the longest died, the Five Elders and Seven Sages exite no longer.