Zhu Yunming

Zhu Yunming (; 1461 – 28 January 1527 He was said to have been able to write calligraphy with large characters at the age of four and compose poetry by the age of eight. He became a certified student at 16, and succeeded in the provincial examination of 1492, but never passed metropolitan examinations.

Zhu was also known as an unorthodox thinker against Neo-Confucianism. In his later life, he described himself as a "wild man". He finished various collections of miscellaneous notes. Some scholars believe that his work of judgements on historical personalities influenced Li Zhi's Cang Shu.

In popular culture

Zhu's nonconformist thinking and lifestyle have made him a subject of popular legends. Stories about him have been written into a novel, The Romance of Zhu Yunming.

Selected works

懷星堂集 [Collection of Huaixing Hall] 蘇材小纂 [Collected Biographies of Eminent People from Suzhou] 前闻記 [Memoir of By-gone Events] 猥谈 [Trivial Talks]