Guizhou Portraits·Historical Figures: 'Unity of Knowledge and Action' Wang Yangming

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Guizhou Portraits·Historical Figures: "Unity of Knowledge and Action" Wang Yangming

Date: 2025-06-04　Click: 50

Firm cultural confidence is related to the rise and fall of national destiny, cultural security, and national independence. Firm confidence in the path, theory, and system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, in the final analysis, is to strengthen cultural confidence. Cultural confidence is a more basic, deeper, and more lasting force.

The historical accumulation and cultural heritage of Chinese civilization provide a solid support for cultural confidence. Entering the new era, we insist on moving from history to the future, constantly pioneering and advancing in the continuation of the Chinese cultural vein, and constantly promoting the creative transformation and innovative development of China's excellent traditional culture, so that it can be revitalized and unique in the new era.

Guizhou has been established for more than 600 years, with the nurturing of mountains and rivers, historical encounters, and the creation of sages. In the historical development process of Guizhou, there are always some outstanding people who play the role of leaders. They either come from Guizhou or come to Guizhou, creating brilliance and glory on this colorful land, and leaving behind precious spiritual and cultural wealth. They are the "silhouettes" of Guizhou's history and culture, which can help us understand the past and present of colorful Guizhou.

Since May 25, China News Service Guizhou News has launched a series of articles in the "Guizhou Portraits" column to introduce these Guizhou historical and cultural celebrities to everyone.

"Unification of Knowledge and Action" Wang Yangming

Wang Shouren (October 31, 1472 - January 9, 1529), courtesy name Bo'an, alias Yangming. Born in Yuyao County, Shaoxing Prefecture, Zhejiang Province (now Yuyao, Ningbo), he once built a house in Yangming Cave, Kuaiji Mountain, and called himself Yangmingzi. Scholars called him Mr. Yangming, also known as Wang Yangming.

Wang Yangming was a famous philosopher and thinker in the Ming Dynasty of China. Yangming's philosophy of mind is the essence of Chinese traditional culture.

China Yangming Cultural Park. Photo by Tang Zhe

Wang Yangming was a Jinshi in the 12th year of Hongzhi (1499). He served as the head of the Ministry of Justice, the postmaster of Longchang Post in Guizhou, the magistrate of Luling, the right assistant censor, the governor of Nangan, the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi, and in his later years, he served as the Minister of War in Nanjing and the Left Censor of the Censorate. He was awarded the title of Xinjian Earl for his military merits in suppressing the Chenhao Rebellion, and was posthumously awarded the title of Xinjian Marquis during the Longqing period. He was posthumously named Wencheng, so later generations also called him Wang Wenchenggong.

Wang Shouren (the master of Xinxue) is known as Kong, Meng, Zhu, and Wang together with Confucius (the founder of Confucianism), Mencius (the master of Confucianism), and Zhu Xi (the master of Neo-Confucianism).

China Yangming Cultural Park. Photo by Tang Zhe

Wang Shouren's doctrine and thought, Wangxue (Yangming School), was the most influential philosophical thought in the Ming Dynasty. His academic thoughts spread to China, Japan, the Korean Peninsula and Southeast Asia.

In 1508, in the spring of the third year of Zhengde in the Ming Dynasty, Wang Yangming was demoted to Longchang, Guizhou, because he offended the eunuchs by speaking frankly. Wang Yangming entered and exited Guizhou via the Yunnan-Guizhou-Hunan Post Road. He passed through Pingxi Wei (now Yuping), Zhenyuan Prefecture (now Zhenyuan County), visited the "First Cave Heaven in Southern Guizhou" in Xinglong Wei (now Huangping County), climbed Qipanling in Pingyue Wei (now Fuquan), passed through the provincial capital Guiyang, and finally arrived at Longchang Post (now Xiuwen County).

During his stay in Guizhou, Wang Yangming was moved by the mountains and rivers, made friends with various ethnic groups, wrote more than a hundred poems and essays, and two of his articles were selected into "Guwen Guanzhi".

However, Longchang Post was uninhabited and in disrepair for many years, so Wang Yangming could only find a natural cave not far from the post station to live in.

"The lower fields are suitable for millet, and the higher fields are also suitable for millet", "The low eaves avoid falling pines, and the loose soil allows bamboo roots to grow", "The square garden is less than an acre, but the vegetables and flowers are arranged in rows", "The barbarians often use fire to cultivate the land, and it is quite convenient to imitate it. Now that spring is not yet deep, a few acres are still enough to rent out", Wang Yangming wrote many pastoral poems in Guizhou.

China Yangming Cultural Park. Photo by Tang Zhe

Wang Yangming learned farming from the local people, began to re-examine the relationship between man and nature, and also started a deep exploration of the heart.

In Longchang, Wang Yangming reflected on life by studying the Book of Changes, realized that suffering was nothing but an external thing, not enough to disturb the heart, and reached the state of "the essence and the coarse are one, the outside and the inside are closed, and the danger is seen as a flat, but it is not known that the flat is a disaster". One night, he suddenly realized that "the way of the sage is that my nature is self-sufficient, and those who seek the truth from things are wrong". This is the story of "Longchang Enlightenment".

Wang Yangming built a thatched house in Longchang (later called "Helou Pavilion"), opened a classroom to give lectures, and attracted local Han and Miao children. He advocated "teaching without distinction", taught Confucian classics in simple language, and wrote folk songs to educate the people. He respected local customs, influenced the people with sincerity, and resolved the contradictions between Han and Miao. It is said that he once chiseled a coffin for a deceased postman and helped the villagers drive away tigers, and was deeply loved.

Wang Yangming founded Longgang Academy and started the teaching style of Guizhou Academy. He proposed four rules for students: "set goals", "study hard", "correct mistakes" and "encourage good deeds". These rules have become the basic spirit of modern education.

Wang Yangming preached in Guiyang Civilization Academy and began to discuss "unity of knowledge and action". Guizhou is therefore called the "holy land of Wang's learning".

China Yangming Cultural Park. Photo by Tang Zhe

Organized and planned by the Publicity Department of the CPC Guizhou Provincial Committee, the original book "Yangming·Twelve Realms of Taoism" by China National Geography·Authentic Scenery, "Yangming·Twelve Realms of Taoism" are Xinglong Book Wall, Pingyue Thinking of Seclusion, Longchang Enlightenment, Longgang Lecture, Lu Guangxiaofa, Ancient Road Heart Journey, Shuixi Discussion, Guiyang Preaching, Nan'an Answer, Nanci Poems, Dongshan Relics, Zhenyuan Book, covering many natural and cultural sites in Guiyang, Bijie, Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, and Qiannan Buyi and Miao Autonomous Prefecture.

Today, Guizhou University has built the first new and distinctive think tank on the topic of "Xinxue" in China - a high-end think tank on "Xinxue" of the Chinese Communists and the new great project of promoting Party building; and launched a "four-piece set" of Yangming cultural and artistic works: the drama "This Heart is Bright", the Peking Opera "Yangming's Enlightenment", the opera "Wang Yangming", and the dance drama "Wang Yangming". The leading actors of the Peking Opera "Yangming's Enlightenment" have won the Plum Blossom Award and the Magnolia Award respectively; by strengthening the international dissemination of Yangming culture, creating and launching cultural and tourism products such as "Yangming·Asking for the Twelve Realms", and holding Yangming cultural lectures and other activities, more people will be influenced by Yangming culture and better nourish their spiritual world.

Source: Colorful Guizhou Cultural Cloud

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