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Dong Zhongshu

179 BC – 104 BC

Premier Confucian scholar, philosopher, and official during the Western Han

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About Dong Zhongshu

Lived 179 BC – 104 BC (aged 74–75). Dong Zhongshu was a Chinese philosopher, writer, politician and statesperson.

Dong Zhongshu (; 179–104 BC) was a Chinese philosopher, politician, and writer of the Han dynasty. He is traditionally associated with the promotion of Confucianism as the official ideology of the Chinese imperial state, favoring heaven worship over the tradition of cults celebrating the five elements. Enjoying great influence in the court in the last decades of his life, his adversary

Gongsun Hong ultimately

promoted his partial retirement from political life by banishing him to the Chancellery of Weifang, but his teachings were transmitted from there.

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Important facts

Born
179 BC, Jing County
Birth century
Died
104 BC, Xi'an
Nationality
Also known as
Tung Chung-shu, Dongzi, Tung-tzu, Tung Tzu, Tong-tchong-chu, Tong Tchong-chu
moreTon-chong-chu, Tou-chong-chu

People in Dong Zhongshu's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Dong Zhongshu's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Dong Zhongshu?

Premier Confucian scholar, philosopher, and official during the Western Han

When was Dong Zhongshu born?

Dong Zhongshu was born in 179 BC in Jing County.

When did Dong Zhongshu die?

Dong Zhongshu died in 104 BC in Xi'an.

What was Dong Zhongshu's occupation?

Dong Zhongshu was a philosopher, writer, politician and statesperson.

What nationality was Dong Zhongshu?

Dong Zhongshu was Chinese.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Dong Zhongshu

· Wikidata: Q445626

· DBpedia: Dong Zhongshu

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Dong Zhongshu. https://biography.guide/dong-zhongshu/

MLA: "Dong Zhongshu." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/dong-zhongshu/.

Chicago: "Dong Zhongshu." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/dong-zhongshu/.

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