Gu Yanwu’s clear purpose of studying the world, his simple and inductive textual research method, his exploratory spirit of creating new paths, and his achievements in many academic fields put an end to the sparse academic style in the late Ming Dynasty and opened up a It paved the way for a generation of simple academic style and had a very beneficial influence on scholars in the Qing Dynasty.

Gu Yanwu also advocated "benefiting the country and enriching the people" and believed that "those who are good for the country should hide it among the people." He boldly doubted the power of monarchs and put forward the idea of ??"government by the many" that was colored by early democratic enlightenment thoughts. He advocates practical application of the world, opposes empty talk, pays attention to seeking evidence, and proposes that "a gentleman is a scholar, to clarify the way, and to save the world. He only uses poetry and prose, what is the use of so-called carvings and seal carvings?"

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Anecdotes and allusions

After the fall of the Ming Dynasty, Gu Yanwu, who was only 32 years old, vowed not to compromise integrity and not to serve the Qing Dynasty. He also participated in the anti-Qing and restoration of the Ming Dynasty. "Restore society". Every Dragon Boat Festival, he always hangs a piece of red radish in front of the door, stuffs a little green garlic inside, and hangs a white cloth behind it. On the white cloth, there are two words "Biqing" written on it, which means "not direct the country." Avoid evil."

That’s why people call him “Mr. He walked from his home to the Ming Xiaoling Tomb in Nanjing six times to pay homage to Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, traveling thousands of miles back and forth without hesitation. While wandering around various places, he went to Changping County, Beijing twice to mourn Zhu Di, the founder of the Ming Dynasty, and six times to Ming Siling Mausoleum to mourn Zhu Youjian, the last emperor of the Ming Dynasty.

Memorial for later generations

Gu Yanwu’s former residence is located in Qiandeng Town, Kunshan City, Jiangsu Province, covering an area of ??60 acres and a construction area of ??5,450 square meters. In the 21st year of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty (1682), Gu Yanwu died in Quwo, Shanxi. He was descended from his successor Gu. His brother Gu Yan carried the coffin back to his hometown of Qiandeng in Kunshan and was buried in the tomb of his father Gu Tongji and his mother Wang Zhenxiao. There is a stele in front of the tomb, which is engraved with "the tomb of Mr. Gu Tinglin and his wife Wang Shuo"; there is a low brick wall around it, with a Qing stone stele embedded in it; in the south of the tomb is the Zhenxiao Fang, which was built by the Ming Dynasty to commemorate Gu Yanwu's mother, the Wang family; There are four willow trees in the back and dozens of pines and cypresses all around.

Baidu Encyclopedia——Gu Yanwu