Gu Yanwu

Gu Yanwu (1613–1682), originally named Jiang, courtesy name Ningren and styled Tinglin, was a native of Kunshan, Jiangsu, and a thinker and scholar of the late Ming and early Qing. Together with Huang Zongxi and Wang Fuzhi, he is counted among the three great Confucians of the Ming–Qing transition and is regarded as a pioneer of Qing evidential scholarship. His Ri Zhi Lu (Record of Daily Knowledge) gathers reading notes and reflections on statecraft, covering classical exegesis, historiography, official governance, customs, and scholarly method; plain and rigorous in style, it stresses evidence and avoids empty talk, exerting a lasting influence on later scholarship. His other writings extend to history and phonology, including accounts of the Southern Ming in Mingshi Sanchao Yeshi, which serve as reference for historical reading. This library holds 16 of his works, spanning examinations, Eastern philosophy, history, classics, and culture, reflecting a learning that unites classical and historical studies with concern for practical affairs. His saying, "The rise and fall of the realm is the responsibility of every common person," is still widely quoted today.