Ruan Yuan

Life and career

He passed the jinshi examination in the fifty-fourth year of the Qianlong reign (1789), ranking third in the second class; he was selected as a shujishi of the Hanlin Academy and appointed a compiler. In the third year of Jiaqing (1798), he became governor of Zhejiang and later served as governor-general of Huguang, Liangguang, and Yunnan–Guizhou. His other appointments included education commissioner for Shandong and Zhejiang, governor of Henan and Jiangxi, Vice Minister of Revenue, an Academician of the Grand Secretariat, Associate Grand Secretary, Zhan shi (詹事), and superintendent of customs; he served as a metropolitan examination examiner in 1799 and 1833. During the Daoguang era he rose to Grand Secretary of the Tiren Hall and was additionally made Grand Tutor; he also received the honor of a second Deer-Ming banquet. He retired because of illness in old age, died in 1849, and was posthumously named Wenda.

Scholarship and education

Wherever he served, he made the promotion of learning and revival of education his responsibility. At the Historiographical Office, he advocated compiling biographies of Confucian scholars and literary figures, and in Zhejiang and Guangdong he established Gujing Jingshe (詁經精舍) and Xuehaitang (學海堂). He was an accomplished calligrapher, particularly skilled in seal and clerical scripts, and also excelled in the appreciation of epigraphy, painting, and calligraphy. He made marble screens known as Ruan family stone paintings and was styled Cangshan huaxian (蒼山畫仙). He participated in the second compilation of Shiqu Baoji (《石渠寶笈》), recording the inscriptions and colophons of imperial palace paintings and calligraphies and distinguishing genuine works from forgeries.

Works

Ruan's writings were extensive, covering the Confucian classics, textual collation, epigraphy, poetry, and prose. He edited 《十三經注疏》 and 《文選樓叢書》, compiled 《經籍纂詁》, 《積古齋鐘鼎款識》, and 《兩浙金石志》, published 《學海堂經解》, and authored 《揅經室集》. The title 《積古齋鐘鼎款識》 also appears as 《積古齋鐘鼎疑識》. Other works attributed to him include 《小滄浪筆談》, 《三家詩補遺》, 《定香亭筆談》, 《曾子注釋》, 《石渠隨筆》, 《車制圖解》, 《揅經室集》, and 《石畫記》.

Family and associates

Ruan Yuan's grandfather was Ruan Yutang (阮玉堂; 1695–1759), and his father was Ruan Chengxin (阮承信; 1734–1805). His first and second wives were Jiang (江氏; died 1792) and Kong Luhua (孔璐華; 1777–1832); their fathers were Jiang Zhenji (江振箕) and Kong Xianzeng (孔憲增). He also had a concubine, Tang Qingyun (唐慶雲). His children included Ruan Hu (阮祜), Ruan Fu (阮福, born 1802), Ruan You (阮祐), Ruan Konghou (阮孔厚), and the adopted heir Ruan Changsheng (阮常生, died 1833), as well as the daughters Ruan Kongjing (阮孔靜; 1802–1821) and Ruan Quan (阮荃). Zhang Xi (張熙; 1803–1821) and Shen Qin-zhi (沈勤埴) were approved to marry his daughters; his grandchildren included Ruan Enhai (阮恩海; 1821–1874) and Ruan Enluan (阮恩灤; 1831–1854).

Among his scholarly associates, he was friends with Jiao Xun (焦循), Jiang Fan (江藩), and Duan Yucai (段玉裁); his students included Zhang Xi, Chen Shouqi (陳壽祺), Liang Zhangju (梁章鉅), Wu Rongguang (吳榮光), and Luo Shilin (羅士琳).