Yang Fu

Yang Fu

Yang Fu (the year of birth and death is unknown), whose name is Xiaoyuan, was born in xiadutou village, shuzhugang, Panyu County, Nanhai County in the Eastern Han Dynasty (now xiadutou village, Chigang street, Haizhu District, Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province). In his early years, he devoted himself to studying the classics and history and studied deeply. In 77 A.D., he was selected as a "counsellor" to participate in the "virtuous countermeasures" sponsored by the imperial court, and became a close official of the emperor. Yang Fu is famous for his outspoken words and courage to remonstrate. He often put forward his own opinions on political affairs to the emperor. He strongly advocated the restoration and strengthening of the national policy of governing the world with filial piety. Emperor Hanhe adopted Yang Fu's advice and issued an imperial edict to restore and strengthen the old ritual system.

Yang Fu is recognized by historians as the first scholar in Lingnan to write a book. His book foreign body records is the first regional monograph in China. It is the first time that his works systematically collate Lingnan scenery, which can be called the pioneer of Lingnan culture.

brief introduction

In his early years, Yang devoted himself to studying Classics and history. In 77 A.D., he was selected as a "counsellor" to participate in the "virtuous countermeasures" sponsored by the imperial court, and became a close official of the emperor. Yang was famous for his outspoken voice and courage to remonstrate. He repeatedly put forward his own opinions on political affairs to the emperor. In addition to participating in political affairs, Yang studied hard and wrote the first academic work of Nanhai people, foreign body records. This book is the first regional monograph on products in China. Yang Fu, a historian, was the first scholar in Guangdong to write books. Yang's character is highly praised by people at that time. In his later years, he retired from Luoyang, the capital city, and returned to his hometown to settle down. The pine trees in front of his house were planted in Luoyang. When it was cold, snow fell on them. Therefore, the scholars and people all respected him as "Mr. nanxue", and nicknamed his residence "Henan", which is still used as a synonym for the south of Guangzhou. The influence of Yang Fu's creation of Lingnan culture has been admired by generations.

He strongly advocated ruling the world with filial piety, and believed that the court should first formulate the custom that the scholars and the people should observe the mourning for three years when they meet their parents. Emperor Hanhe had adopted Yang Fu's suggestion of "governing the world with filial piety", issued an imperial edict to restore the old rites, and ordered "all subjects will be mourned for three years", which led to the continuation of the feudal ethics with "governing with filial piety" as the main symbol under the protection of the monarchy for more than a thousand years. Yang Fu, a historian, was the first scholar in Guangdong to write books. It's a pity that Yang Fu's foreign body annals was lost in the Song Dynasty. When Qu Dajun, one of the three great masters in Lingnan, wrote Guangdong Xinyu in the late Ming Dynasty and early Qing Dynasty, he earnestly hoped that someone could search and compile it. Zeng Zhao, a native of Nanhai in the late Qing Dynasty, compiled two volumes of records of foreign bodies from Qimin Yaoshu, chuxue Ji and Taiping Yulan, which have been handed down to the present day.

Academic achievements

Yang Fu's greatest achievement is in the academic aspect. He wrote the first academic work of Nanhai county people, and also the first regional monograph of products in China, the chronicle of foreign bodies of Southern origin. The book records in detail the ancient Lingnan products and customs, is a rare precious historical material. The book systematically provides the species and growth of Lingnan animals and plants in the Han Dynasty, as well as their application in economic development. Yang Fu particularly mentioned the cultivation of sugarcane: due to the warm and rainy climate in Lingnan, sugarcane grew very luxuriantly, "surrounded by a few inches, more than Zhang Long", "cut and eat sweet, extract juice like Yili, named sugar", which confirmed that Lingnan had made sugar at the latest in the Eastern Han Dynasty. Under the influence of Yang Fu, Wu Wanzhen wrote the chronicle of foreign bodies in Nanzhou, and Jin Ji wrote the shape of plants in South China, which left valuable information about ancient Lingnan for later generations.

Influence of later generations

Foreign body annals was written in the beginning of the 2nd century. It describes the species of aquatic products in the south of the five ridges and the first-hand materials of Botany, zoology and mineralogy in the south of the five ridges. Its academic value occupies an important position in the history of Lingnan culture. It is the first regional book to record animals and plants in China. In the book, Yang Fu systematically provides the species and growth of Lingnan animals and plants in Han Dynasty, as well as their application in economic development. Yang Fu particularly mentioned the cultivation of sugarcane: due to the warm and rainy climate in Lingnan, sugarcane grew very luxuriantly, "surrounded by a few inches, more than Zhang Long", "cut and eat sweet, extract juice like Yili, named sugar", which confirmed that Lingnan had made sugar at the latest in the Eastern Han Dynasty. Under the influence of Yang Fu, Wu Wanzhen wrote the chronicle of foreign bodies in Nanzhou, and Jin Ji wrote the shape of plants in South China, which left valuable information about ancient Lingnan for later generations.

Yang Fu, a historian, was the first scholar in Guangdong to write books. It's a pity that Yang Fu's foreign body annals was lost in the Song Dynasty. When Qu Dajun, one of the three great writers in Lingnan, wrote Guangdong new language in the late Ming and early Qing Dynasties, he earnestly hoped that someone would search and compile it. Zeng Zhao, a native of Nanhai in the late Qing Dynasty, compiled two volumes of records of foreign bodies from Qimin Yaoshu, chuxue Ji and Taiping Yulan, which have been handed down to the present day.

Yang's character is highly praised by people at that time. The influence of Yang Fu's creation of Lingnan culture has been admired by generations.

According to legend, the reason why the South Bank of the Pearl River is called "Henan" today is also due to Yang Fu. The Yang family lives in xiadutou village, south of the Pearl River. Yang Fu retired from Luoyang, Henan Province in his later years and settled down in his hometown. When Yang Fu returned from office, he brought pines and cypresses from Luoyang, Henan Province, the capital city, and planted them in front of his house. These pines and cypresses are very strange. One winter, they even "attracted" heavy snow trees. It is said that this appearance was caused by pines and cypresses missing their hometown. It was Yang Gong's conduct that moved God. So he nicknamed his place of residence "Henan", which is still used as the synonym of the south of Guangzhou. People all respected him as "Mr. Nan Xue". So far, there is a well in the site, which is called "Yangfu well".

Chinese PinYin : Yang Fu