About Pan You
Lived 938 – 973 (aged 34–35). Pan You was a Chinese politician, calligrapher, poet and historian.
Pan You (; 938–973) was a politician of the Southern Tang who was arrested by Li Yu and killed by hanging. Pan You was born in Youzhou, now modern Beijing.
During the Southern Tang there were many officials that tried to use the Rites of Zhou to reform the law but failed. Pan You was familiar with classics and history, including the works of Laozi and Zhuangzi. He enjoyed writing and once wrote a thousand word letter to the Southern Han. He authored the 10-volume work "Xingyang Collection" (滎陽集), which is now lost.
In 978, Li Yu confessed to killing Pan You.
Pan You's life was documented in Book of Southern Tang by Ma Ling, the 1184 Book of Southern Tang by Lu You, the 1343 History of Song and Volume 4 of the Junzhai Chronicle (郡斋读书志).
Pan was ugly and got divorced.
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Important facts
People in Pan You's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Related people
Same field, nearest in time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Pan You's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Pan You?
Southern Tang poet, did 938
When was Pan You born?
Pan You was born in 938.
When did Pan You die?
Pan You died in 973.
What was Pan You's occupation?
Pan You was a politician, calligrapher, poet and historian.
What nationality was Pan You?
Pan You was Chinese.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Pan You. https://biography.guide/pan-you/
MLA: "Pan You." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/pan-you/.
Chicago: "Pan You." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/pan-you/.
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