Gu Yanwu (顾炎武)
Gu Yanwu (1613–1682), style name Ningren, sobriquet Tinglin, was a late-Ming and early-Qing thinker and scholar. He championed practical learning for real-world governance and authored works such as Records of Daily Knowledge and Treatises on the Strengths and Weaknesses of the Regions. He is remembered for the maxim, “The rise and fall of the realm concerns every person.”
- Birth
- 1613-07-15 18:00 · Kunshan, Jiangsu
- Gender
- Male
- Time Source
- AI inferred
Birth Time Verification
Core Analysis
Gu Yanwu’s BaZi chart is Gui Chou , Ji Wei , Yi You , Yi You . The Day Master is Yi Wood, born in the autumn You Metal season, where Metal is strong and Wood is weak. This creates a structure of Wood being controlled by Metal. However, the Year Stem Gui Water provides Indirect Resource support, and the Hour Stem brings Companion strength, indicating self-reliance and a solid scholarly foundation.
Multiple Metal components generate strong Seven Killings pressure. In certain Luck Pillars—such as Ding Si and Bing Chen—the presence of Food God and Hurting Officer activates expression, critique, and writing. The Luck Pillar sequence is clear: Bing Chen (1636–1645) corresponds to turbulence, resistance to the Qing, exile, and political clashes; Gui Chou (1666–1675) and Ren Zi (1676–1685) are Resource-focused periods that favor textual research and major writings, consolidating his academic legacy.
Overall, the chart’s main thread is Indirect Resource supporting learning, Hurting Officer producing expression, and Seven Killings forging resolve. His temperament is upright and unyielding, with scholarship aimed at practical governance. At the same time, this structure brings repeated encounters with imprisonment, assassination attempts, family loss, and physical strain.
Traits
Upright and Unyielding
BaZi basis: Strong Seven Killings pressure on a relatively weak Day Master, yet without reliance on official rank, shows uncompromising integrity. This aligns with his lifelong refusal to serve the Qing state.
Practical Scholar
BaZi basis: Gui Water Indirect Resource in the Year Stem and later Resource Luck Pillars (Gui Chou, Ren Zi) support deep study, evidence-based research, and a focus on real-world application.
Sharp and Critical Voice
BaZi basis: Ding Si and Bing Chen Luck Pillars activate Food God and Hurting Officer, enhancing writing ability, critique, and social commentary, while also inviting controversy.
Resistance and Solitude
BaZi basis: Repeated Companion Stars combined with Seven Killings pressure foster independence but also isolation, reflected in exile, imprisonment, and a lonely personal path.
Timeline
Each year shows the event, luck pillar, annual pillar, relations, and interpretation for direct comparison.
Early Recognition in the Prefectural Examinations
At age twenty, he placed among the top candidates in the annual examinations and was ranked fourteenth in the first tier, marking his early academic promise and official recognition.
Loss of Family Protection and Decline of Household Fortunes
The death of his grandfather Gu Shaofu removed the family’s main pillar, placing heavy responsibility on Gu Yanwu and marking the beginning of the family’s decline.
Entry into the Imperial Academy through Donation
He entered the Imperial Academy as a registered student through donation, gaining higher status and access to political and scholarly circles.
Dynastic Collapse and Family Tragedy
During the Kunshan resistance against the Qing, the city fell. His biological mother lost an arm, two younger brothers were killed, and his adoptive mother starved herself to death, leaving a final injunction that he never serve the Qing.
Advising the Southern Ming in a Time of Crisis
Recommended by the Kunshan magistrate, he served in the Southern Ming Ministry of War, authoring strategic essays known as the “Four Treatises of the Yi You Year,” and formally committed himself to national resistance.
A High-Risk Restoration Plot
He secretly participated in a failed plot to restore the Ming. After the plan collapsed and allies were killed, he narrowly escaped and went into hiding.
Disguise and Flight to Avoid Assassination
Targeted for assassination, he cut his hair, changed clothes, adopted the alias Jiang Shan Yong, and lived disguised as a merchant while hiding across the Jiangnan region.
Imprisonment after Household Conflict
After executing a rebellious servant, he was falsely accused of murder and imprisoned. Friends intervened, and the case was eventually resolved.
Surviving an Assassination Attempt
After his release, assassins attacked him outside Taiping Gate in Nanjing. He narrowly survived with help from others.
Final Farewell to the Ming Tombs and Departure North
After repeated visits to the Ming imperial tombs, he sold his property, vowed never to return home, and began his long northern journey.
Northern Travels and Field Investigation
He traveled as far as Shanhai Pass, conducting on-site studies of geography and defenses, integrating scholarship with firsthand investigation.
Imprisonment in a Literary Inquisition Case
Implicated in a poetry-related case in Laizhou, Shandong, he was imprisoned again but ultimately rescued through friends’ efforts.
FAQ
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How are his scholarly achievements reflected in the chart? +
Why does the chart show repeated imprisonment and assassination attempts? +
How are family and emotional hardships indicated? +
How can late-life scholarly stability coexist with physical decline? +
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