The Sage of Ten Thousand Generations: A Biography of Zheng Xuan

Zheng Xuan (127–200), a preeminent scholar of the Confucian classics in the late Eastern Han dynasty, was revered as the “Sage of the Classics.” His scholarship brought together the Old Text and New Text traditions. Known for drawing on the strengths of others and seeking truth through practical inquiry, he founded the “Zheng School,” which profoundly shaped China's traditional study of the classics. A thousand years after his death, his principles of seeking truth, integrating different traditions, and applying knowledge to the world continued to inspire later generations. Fan Zhongyan of the Northern Song dynasty drew on them to advocate putting learning to practical use; Wang Yangming of the Ming dynasty adopted his rigorous approach to textual research; and the scholars of the Qianlong and Jiaqing eras of the Qing dynasty revered him as a master of evidential scholarship. Among the people, stories of his diligence and discernment became part of the cultural heritage, passed down from generation to generation. In modern times, Zheng Xuan's scholarship, which bridged ancient and contemporary learning, became an important link in dialogue between Chinese and Western scholarship, and his commentaries became a vital window through which the world could understand Chinese civilization. Though he was born a commoner, Zheng Xuan became a model teacher for all ages, proving that true learning can transcend its era and illuminate the long river of human civilization.