About Yuan Xingpei
Born 1936. Yuan Xingpei is a Chinese educator, politician, sinologist, writer and university teacher, known for Six Dynasties poetry and Tang poetry.
Yuan Xingpei (; ; born April 18, 1936) is a Chinese scholar, educator, author, and political leader, known for his public service and publications on Chinese literature, particularly for his studies of Six Dynasties period poet Tao Yuanming. Yuan has been a professor of Chinese literature at Peking University since 1957.
Life and career Yuan was born in 1936 in Jinan. He attended Peking University as an undergraduate student, graduating in 1957 from the school's Department of Chinese Language and Literature with a B.A. degree. The department hired him as an instructor immediately following his graduation, where he has remained ever since.
Selected works Yuan, Xingpei, ed.-in-chief (1963). Wei-Jin Nanbeichao wenxue shi cankao ziliao 魏晋南北朝文学史参考资料 [Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties Literary History Reference Materials]. Beijing: Zhonghua shuju. — — — and Hou Zhongyi 侯中义 (1981). Zhongguo wenyan xiaoshuo shumu 中国文言小说书目 [Index of Classical Chinese Fiction]. Beijing: Beijing daxue chubanshe. — — — (1987). Zhongguo shige yishu yanjiu 中国诗歌艺术研究 [Studies on the Artistics of Chinese Poetry]. Beijing: Beijing daxue chubanshe; revised edition (1996). — — — (1997). Tao Yuanming yanjiu 陶渊明研究 [Studies on Tao Yuanming]. Beijing: Beijing daxue chubanshe. — — —, ed.-in-chief (1999). Zhongguo wenxue shi 中国文学史 [History of Chinese Literature], 4 vols. Beijing: Gaodeng jiaoyu chubanshe. — — —, et al., eds.-in chief (2006). Zhongguo wenming shi 中国文明史 [History of Chinese Civilization], 4 vols. Beijing: Beijing daxue chubanshe. English edition (2012), English text edited by David R. Knechtges, The History of Chinese Civilization, 4 vols. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Don’t just read it —
keep it.
Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.
- E-book
- Audio
- Video
Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free
Important facts
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Yuan Xingpei's
Frequently asked questions
Who is Yuan Xingpei?
Chinese academic
When was Yuan Xingpei born?
Yuan Xingpei was born on 18 April 1936 in Jinan.
What is Yuan Xingpei's occupation?
Yuan Xingpei is an educator, politician, sinologist, writer and university teacher.
What is Yuan Xingpei known for?
Yuan Xingpei is known for Six Dynasties poetry and Tang poetry.
What nationality is Yuan Xingpei?
Yuan Xingpei is Chinese.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Yuan Xingpei. https://biography.guide/yuan-xingpei/
MLA: "Yuan Xingpei." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/yuan-xingpei/.
Chicago: "Yuan Xingpei." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/yuan-xingpei/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
Page generated 2026-09-27 04:58 UTC