Wu Qijun

Wu Qijun

Wu Qijun (1789-1847), a botanist and naturalist, was born in Chengguan County, Gushi County, Henan Province. He was the number one scholar in the 22nd year of Jiaqing (1817). He was an official of Hanlin Academy. He was the only number one scholar in Henan Province in Qing Dynasty.

Outstanding achievements have been made in Botany, agronomy, medicine, mining, water conservancy, etc.

He once served as the left Minister of the military department, the right Minister of the household department, the governor of Huguang, the governor of Yungui, and the governor of Hunan, Zhejiang, Yunnan, Fujian and Shanxi.

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Wu Qijun was born in a prosperous family in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, and entered the Qing Dynasty. Since Wu Qijun's grandfather, there were ten Jinshi in the four generations of the Wu family, among which Wu Qijun was the only number one scholar in Henan Province in the Qing Dynasty. His grandfather, Wu Yanrui, was one of the top 14 Jinshi (1766) in the 31th year of Qianlong's reign. He was an official in Guangdong and wrote the manuscript of Qingfen library. His uncle, Wu Ji, was an official in Zhili Prefecture of Jiezhou in 1781 and passed down the manuscript of woyun Shanfang. His father, Wu Ji, was an official in the 52th year of Qianlong's reign (1787) and was a servant of the Ministry of war In 1799, Wu Qiyan, the eldest brother, was one of the top sixty-three Jinshi in the fourth year of Jiaqing period. He was an official of the Ministry of war and wrote the manuscript of Tenghua bookstore. Another cousin Wu Qijun, cousin Wu Qitai, nephew Wu Yuanbing, Wu lie as Jinshi.

When Wu Qijun was five years old, his mother Xu's family (the daughter of Xu Jiaqi, a scholar of Hanlin Academy) began to enlighten him. At the age of ten, Wu Qijun studied in Linshi linhuai Academy. Wu Qijun is eager to learn. He has a wide range of books, and he has a strong nature. When he encounters problems he doesn't understand, he always wants to get to the bottom of the matter. When he was 12 years old, Wu Qijun went to Beijing with his mother. First he studied in Yu Qingfen library, and then he was admitted to the Imperial College.

He was elected in the 15th year of Jiaqing in the Qing Dynasty (1810). In 1817, he was a Jinshi and a first-class official in the imperial examination. He was appointed the number one scholar and was awarded the Imperial Academy to write. Two years later, he was appointed to preside over the Guangdong Provincial examination. At that time, his brother Wu Qiyan was studying politics in shuntianfu. Both of them were academic officials, which was a good story in the academic circle.

In the first year of Daoguang (1821), he was appointed as the editor of the real records. In that year (Wu Qijun was 34), his father died of illness; in the third year of Daoguang, his uncle died of illness (1823); in the fifth year, his mother died of illness (1825), and Wu Qijun lived in his hometown for eight years. In the meantime, he chose more than ten mu of dongshihewan in Gushi city to build a botanical garden, named Dongshu. "Planting eight hundred peaches, planting three thousand willows", "weaving Hibiscus as fence, planting vegetables for several Mu", "three or four years of operation, green oyster, covering half villa". "Dongshu" is Wu Qijun's research site for plants. The couplet in front of the door says: Ten mu of wasteland is also planted with exotic flowers and vegetables, and several cottages are half stocked with farm tools and half stocked with books. One year, a mountain torrent broke out and Dongshu was flooded. With grain, he went up the historical river and went to the hinterland of Dabie Mountains to investigate the causes of the flood. He wrote the treatise on harnessing the upper reaches of the Huaihe River.

In the ninth year of Daoguang reign, Wu Qijun returned to Beijing after his filial piety period. He was appointed as a tutor and an official of daily life (1829). In 1831, he was on duty in nanshufang. Later, he was promoted to a cabinet bachelor's degree by the rank of Hubei Xuezheng, Prince Xima, Honglu Siqing and vice minister of General Administration. In 1840, Zhou Tianjue, the governor of Huguang, was ordered to go to Hubei Province for inspection. He found out that Zhou Tianjue, the governor of Huguang, was wrongly appointed and forced to die, and his son employed people illegally. He was ordered to dismiss Zhou Tianjue and exile him to Yili. His governors were demoted. Wu Qijun, acting as governor of Huguang, later granted him the title of governor of Hunan. Two years later, Zhong Renjie's uprising in Chongyang was exterminated, and he was praised for his meritorious service. The next year, he was transferred to Zhejiang (1843), but not to Wugang (now Wugang County, Hunan Province). After the uprising, he was transferred to Yunnan governor Dai Yungui.

In the 25th year of Daoguang (1845), the governor of Fujian was transferred to the governor of Shanxi, and he was also in charge of the salt administration. During his term of office, he reduced public expenses, reformed the salt administration, and captured opium dealers, which was called "Qing Qin". The next year, he became an official due to illness (in 1846, "begging for illness" in Gushi). He died after returning home. On December 19, the 26th year of Daoguang (lunar calendar), he received an edict saying that "Governor Wu Qijun of Shanxi entered Zhinan study from Hanlin Academy. He was promoted to be the second minister of Shanxi Province. He studied well and kept clean. He was conscientious in his work "Bury."

Because of Wu Qijun's reform of salt law during his term as governor of Shanxi Province, the imperial court paid special tribute to his descendants in recognition of his integrity. For this reason, his sons Wu Yuanxi, Wu chongen and Wu Rongxi immediately conferred the posts of chief bookkeeper, county magistrate and general judge respectively. His sons, Wu Chengen, Wu Hongen, and his grandson, Wu zunrang, were all given birth to Ju Ren. Wu Qijun was a clean and honest official with five sons and one grandson, which became a great event at that time, and his family also reached the peak of prosperity.

Wu Qijun was different from the general officials in Qing Dynasty. He had profound attainments in botany and mineralogy. He wrote many books, such as a textual research on the names and facts of plants, a long textual research on the names and facts of plants, a sketch of Diannan mining factory and a collection of dianxing chronicles. These books are of great academic value.

Wu Qijun's botanical achievements in the book "a textual research on the names and facts of plants" are even greater than his historical influence as a feudal official in Qing Dynasty. In 1848, the book was published in woodblock edition, which promoted the traditional botany of China to a new level and had a profound impact on the world botany circle. From 1870s to 1980s, it spread to France, Japan and other places, and is still an important work of Botany and traditional Chinese medicine.

Main works

He is the author of 38 volumes of textual research on the names and facts of plants. The introduction of 1714 species of plants is not only a great work of recording plant drugs, but also a great help for modern collection of drugs and identification of plant classification. Its scientific value is that it corrects the mistakes of some herbalists, that the attached drawings are particularly accurate, and that many plant names are based on it. He has also compiled 22 volumes of the textual research on the names and facts of plants (including 838 species of plants), a sketch of Yunnan's mineral industry, a map of Yunnan's mining factories, a collection of Yunnan's travel history, a collection of military and political affairs, memorials and collections, treatises on the upper reaches of the Huaihe River, nianyuge's poetry notes and tancu, etc.

He carefully observed the plants in various places, based on the relevant records in ancient books, and accumulated 30 years of work, and wrote two books: a textual research on the names and facts of plants and a long compilation of textual research on the names and facts of plants. The former is the first of modern flora of China and occupies an important position in the history of Chinese botany. He studied plants, emphasized "visual experience" and opposed "ear eating". For example, when he was in Shanxi, he noticed that the statement that Shanxi does not produce party ginseng in Shanxi general records was inconsistent with the reality. He found that Shanxi is not only rich in wild Codonopsis, but also in artificial cultivation. He pointed out that Codonopsis pilosula "sprawls, leaves are not right, nodes are as big as fingers, wild roots have white juice, autumn flowers are like sand ginseng, the color is blue and white, native species for the benefit.". He also sent people to dig up the seedlings of Codonopsis pilosula in the deep mountains for artificial cultivation and observation, and found that "it is also easy to reproduce. If we carefully examine its shape, it looks like a new-born alfalfa, and its smell is near Astragalus". He compiled all kinds of records and expositions about plants in ancient books into the compilation of the names and facts of plants, which contains 838 kinds of plants. This not only prepared the necessary historical materials for the further study of various plants and the writing of the textual research of plant names and facts, but also provided convenience for future generations to consult the historical materials of Chinese plant literature.

There are 1714 kinds of plants in 38 volumes of the book, which is more than 500 kinds more than those in compendium of Materia Medica (see Li Shizhen). The plants in the book cover 19 provinces in China. The wide range and variety of plants recorded in this book are far more than those recorded in ancient Chinese materia medica. Wu Qijun referred to the plant classification method in compendium of Materia Medica by Li Shizhen, but made great improvement. There are 12 kinds of plants in the book, which are more concise and reasonable than before. Under each category, several species of plants are recorded, including name, shape, color, taste, origin and use, so as to be consistent with the actual situation. Through his own investigation and textual research of ancient books, he corrected many false records in the former humanistic sacrifice. In the textual research on the names, facts and pictures of plants, the description of each plant is provided with a plant picture drawn according to the real object. Some maps are accurate enough to identify families and orders, some even species. Different from the herbal books of the past dynasties, it began to get rid of the simple practicality and transition to the botanical works. It is very close to the modern flora, which provides valuable information for future generations to further study Chinese plants. Many modern botanists often use it to determine the Chinese names of some plants and understand their uses, which is highly praised by scholars at home and abroad and widely cited.

Related cultural relics

Tomb of Wu Qijun

It was announced as the second batch of cultural relics protection units in Henan Province (announced on November 21, 1986),

Former residence of Wu Qijun

、

Wu's ancestral hall

It is a relic attached to Wu Qijun's tomb. In addition, Wu Qijun once opened a new business in the eastern suburb of Gushi County“

Dongshu Botanical Garden

”As an experimental site for cultivation and research of plants.

Wu Qijun's tomb is located in DAPI village, Xiushui Street, Gushi County, Henan Province. When the cemetery was first built, it covered an area of five mu, surrounded by walls, forest of Steles, stone squares, sacrificial halls, stone carvings such as stone man and stone horse arranged in front of the tomb, and there were special personnel to guard the cemetery. After the war, it was destroyed repeatedly, and there is a tomb.

Wu Qijun's former residence ("Zhuangyuan Fu") is located in today's Liaocheng street, Gushi County, Henan Province

Chinese PinYin : Wu Qi Xun