Zheng Qian
Tang master of poetry, calligraphy, painting
Zheng Qian(郑虔) (691–759), courtesy name Quting(趋庭), also known as Ruoqi(若齐), Ruoqi(弱齐), or Ruozhai(若斋), was from Xingze County, Zhengzhou, and was a writer, calligrapher, and painter during the Tang Dynasty. Zheng Qian was born into a fairly prestigious family. Around the first year of Jingyun (710), he passed the imperial examination and immediately started his official career as a clerk at the Shuaigeng Temple. Later, he served in various positions including Left Gate Supervisory Officer, Chief of the Imperial Carriage Department, Assistant of the Ministry of Rites, Chief Historian of the Left Qingdao Prefecture, Professor at the Guangwen Institute, and Script Writer. During the An-Shi Rebellion, Zheng Qian was appointed by the rebel forces as Langzhong of the Ministry of War and Director of the National University. After the rebellion was suppressed, he was demoted to Taizhou due to his involvement with the rebels. In the cold twelfth month of the second year of Zhide (757), Zheng Qian arrived in Taizhou and dedicated himself to developing the local education and culture. In the second year of Qianyuan (759), Zheng Qian passed away in his official residence in Taizhou at the age of sixty-nine. In terms of academic thought, Zheng Qian was politically sharp and exceptionally insightful. He made contributions in military strategy, medicine, and natural history, and was highly cultured. His poetry, calligraphy, and painting were praised by Emperor Xuanzong of Tang as the 'Three Perfections of Zheng Qian.' He wrote a military book called 'Tianbao Defense Records,' a medical book 'Hu Materia Medica,' and miscellaneous records 'Huicui,' among others.