老子LǎoZǐ(circa580-470BC)ALegendaryPhilosopher
孔子Confucius(551-479BC)TheGreatestThinker
墨子MòZǐ(468-376BC)PacifistThinkerandInventor
孟子Mencius(372-289BC)PrincipalInterpreterofConfucianism
庄子ZhuāngZǐ(circa369-286BC)FreewheelingTaoist
荀子XúnZǐ(circa313-238BC)‘AllHumansareBornEvil’
韩非HánFēi(circa280-233BC)Sageof‘RulebyFear’
王充WángChōng(27-circa99AD)AnIconoclasticThinker
朱熹ZhūXǐ(1130-1200)ForemostNeo-ConfucianThinker
黄宗羲HuángZōngxī(1610-1695)TheChineseRousseau
王夫之WángFūzhī(1619-1692)EnlightenmentThinker
Poets&Writers
屈原QūYuán(circa340-278BC)AGreatPatrioticPoet
司马相如SīmǎXiàngrú(circa179-118BC)ThePoetWhoEloped
司马迁SīmǎQiān(circa145-90BC)HistoriographyFather
曹植CáoZhí(192-232AD)ThePoeticalProdigy
王勃WángBó(649-676AD)BriefLife,LastingFame
陈子昂ChénZǐ’áng(661-702AD)TangPoetry’sPioneer
李白LǐBái(701-762AD)The‘GodofPoetry’
杜甫DùFǔ(712-770AD)SufferingPoetrySaint
苏轼SūShì(1037-1101)ARare,VersatileScholar
李清照LǐQīngzhào(1084-1151)Ci’sFinestFemalePoet
陆游LùYóu(1125-1210)ThePatriotofPoetry
辛弃疾XīnQìjī(1140-1207)LyricPoetandPatriot
关汉卿GuānHànqīng(1225-1302)China’sOwnShakespeare
施耐庵ShīNài’ān(1296-1370)AuthorSteepedinMystery
吴承恩WúChéng’ēn(circa1501-1582)ManBehindMonkeyKing
曹雪芹CáoXuěqín(circa1715-1763or1764)TheAuthorofaGreatClassic
Buddhists
玄奘Xuánzàng(circa602-664AD)AGreatBuddhistMonk
惠能Huìnéng(638-713AD)RusticPatriarch
Scientists&Craftsmen
鲁班LǔBān(circa507-444BC)LegendaryMasterCarpenter
孙武SūnWǔ(circa535-480BC)WinningWaysofAncientStrategist
扁鹊BiǎnQuè(circa407-310BC)TheFirstPhysicianinChina
蔡伦CàiLún(circa61-121AD)PaperTrailLeadstoEunuchCai
张衡ZhāngHéng(78-139AD)InventoroftheSeismometer
张仲景ZhāngZhòngjǐng(circa150-219AD)PlaguePromptsDoctor’sWork
华佗HuàTuó(circa145-208AD)APioneeringChineseSurgeon
祖冲之ZǔChōngzhī(429-500AD)AnEarlyChineseStarofAstronomy
贾思勰JiǎSīxié(endof5thcentury-mid-6thcentury)ScribeofGuidetoFarming
郦道元LìDàoyuán(circa470-527AD)WaterWriterPlumbsNewDepths
孙思邈SūnSīmiǎo(circa581-682AD)The‘KingofMedicine’
毕昇BìShēng(970-1051)InventoroftheMovableTypeTechnology
沈括ShěnKuò(1031-1095)China’sGreatScientificMind
黄道婆HuángDàopó(circa1245-1330)Granny’sGreatInnovations
李时珍LǐShízhēn(1518-1593)SaintofMedicineandScribeofHerbs
徐光启XúGuāngqǐ(1562-1633)City’sSonIntroducesEuropeanScience
詹天佑ZhānTiānyòu(1861-1919)FatherofChina’sRailways
Painters&Calligraphers
王羲之WángXīzhī(303-361AD)SageofChineseCalligraphy
顾恺之GùKǎizhī(348-409AD)OriginatorofChinesePainting
吴道子WúDàozǐ(680-759AD)Painter’sDeathaTallTale
郑燮ZhèngXiè(1693-1765)AnEccentricPainter
InfluentialFigures
管仲GuǎnZhòng(circa720-645BC)LeadingReformer
项羽XiàngYǔ(232-202BC)APrideful,TragicHero
王昭君WángZhāojūn(circa52-20BC)ABeautifulLadyHelpsKeepPeace
商鞅ShāngYāng(circa390-338BC)AGreatStatesmanandPoliticalReformer
陈胜ChénShèng(-208BC)LeaderofFirstPeasantRebellion
诸葛亮ZhūgěLiàng(181-234AD)AGodlikeProphet
关羽GuānYǔ(160-219AD)LordGuanReveredforHisBravery
魏征WèiZhēng(580-643AD)CandidOfficialEarnsGreatRespect
鉴真Jiànzhēn(687-763AD)MonkSpreadstheWordinJapan
包拯BāoZhěng(999-1062)IconicOfficialWho’sIncorruptible
王安石Wángānshí(1021-1086)StatesmanwithaGiftforWriting
岳飞YuèFēi(1103-1142)APeerlessGeneralandNationalHero
文天祥WénTiānxiáng(1236-1283)HeroStaysLoyaltotheBitterEnd
郑和ZhèngHé(1371-1433)DidtheAdmiralDiscovertheNewWorld
海瑞HǎiRuì(1514-1587)MoralOfficialDarestoCriticizeEmperor
戚继光QīJìguāng(1528-1588)‘TigerGeneral’StopsJapanesePirates
徐霞客XúXiákè(1586-1641)IntrepidExplorerKeepsaMeticulousDiary
郑成功ZhèngChénggōng(1624-1662)ANationalHeroWhoRecapturesTaiwan
李自成LǐZìchéng(1606-1645)ShortsightedMilitaryGenius
林则徐LínZéxú(1785-1850)PatrioticOfficialFightstheOpiumTrade
龚自珍GōngZìzhēn(1792-1841)AReform-mindedOfficialandPoet
李鸿章LǐHóngzhāng(1823-1901)PowerfulOfficialInvitesControversy
严复YánFù(1854-1921)EducatorPushesforModernization
康有为KāngYǒuwéi(1858-1927)ReformerTriestoChangeChina
蔡元培CàiYuánpéi(1868-1940)EducatorSupportsCivilRightsMovement
陶行知TáoXíngzhī(1891-1946)AGreatEducatorandReformer
Emperors&Empresses
大禹DàYǔ(circa-2062BC)TamingtheLongandWildRiversofChina
秦始皇QínShǐHuáng(259-210BC)The‘FirstEmperor’ofChina
刘邦LiúBāng(256-195BC)FounderofthePowerfulHanDynasty
汉武帝EmperorWuofHan(156-87BC)InsatiableAmbitionforTerritorialExpansion
曹操CáoCāo(155-220AD)SpeakofHisNameandHeArrives
李世民LǐShìmín(599-649AD)CreatorofaDynasticGoldenAge
武则天WǔZétiān(624-705AD)TheOnlyEmpressRegnantinChina’sHistory
成吉思汗GenhisKhan(1162-1227)FounderoftheWorld’sLargestEmpire
朱元璋ZhūYuánzhāng(1328-1398)FromaBeggartoanEmperor
康熙EmperorKangxi(1654-1722)LongestReignBringsProsperity
慈禧太后EmpressDowagerCixi(1835-1908)Mysterious‘QueenwithoutaCrown’