司马相如 (circa 179 – 118 BC) The poet who eloped
司马迁 (circa 145 – 90 BC) Historiography father
曹植 (192 – 232 AD) The poetical prodigy
王勃 (649 – 676 AD) Brief life, lasting fame
陈子昂 (661 – 702 AD) Tang poetry’s pioneer
李白 (701 – 762 AD) The ‘God of Poetry’
杜甫 (712 – 770 AD) Suffering poetry saint
苏轼 (1037 – 1011) A rare, versatile scholar
李清照 (1084 – 1151) Ci’s finest female poet
陆游 (1125 – 1210) The patriot of poetry
辛弃疾 (1140 – 1207) Lyric poet and patriot
关汉卿 (1225 – 1302) China’s own Shakespeare
施耐庵 (1296 – 1370) Author steeped in mystery
吴承恩 (circa 1501 – 1582) Man behind Monkey King
曹雪芹 (circa 1715 – 1763 or 1764) The author of a great classic
玄奘 (circa 602 – 664 AD) A great Buddhist monk
惠能 (638 – 713 AD) Rustic patriarch
鲁班 (circa 507 – 444 BC) Legendary master carpenter
孙武 (circa 535 – 480 BC) Winning ways of ancient strategist
扁鹊 (circa 407 – 310 BC) The first physician in China
蔡伦 (circa 61 – 121 AD) Paper trail leads to eunuch Cai
张衡 (78 – 139 AD) Inventor of the seismometer
张仲景 (circa 150 – 219 AD) Plague prompts doctor’s work
华佗 (circa 145 – 208 AD) A pioneering Chinese surgeon
祖冲之 (429 – 500 AD) An early Chinese star of astronomy
贾思勰 (end of 5th century – mid-6th century) Scribe of guide to farming
郦道元 (circa 470 – 527 AD) Water writer plumbs new depths
孙思邈 (circa 581 – 682 AD) The ‘King of Medicine’
毕昇 (970 – 1051) Inventor of the world’s first movable type technology
沈括 (1031 – 1095) China’s great scientific mind
黄道婆 (circa 1245 – 1330) Granny’s great innovations
李时珍 (1518 – 1593) Saint of medicine and scribe of herbs
徐光启 (1562 – 1633) City’s son introduces European science
詹天佑 (1861 – 1919) Father of China’s railways
王羲之 (303 – 361 AD)Sage of Chinese calligraphy
顾恺之 (348 – 409 AD)Originator of Chinese painting
吴道子 (680 – 759 AD)Painter’s death a tall tale
郑燮 (1693 – 1765)An eccentric painter who’s ‘occasionally muddle-headed’
管仲 (circa 720 – 645 BC)Leading reformer
项羽 (232 – 202 BC) A prideful, tragic hero
王昭君 (circa 52 – 20 BC)A beautiful lady helps keep peace
商鞅 (390 – 338 BC) A great statesman and political reformer
陈胜 (? – 208 BC) Leader of first peasant rebellion
诸葛亮 (181 – 234 AD)A godlike prophet
关羽 (160 – 219 AD) Lord Guan revered for his bravery
魏征 (580 – 643 AD) Candid official earns great respect
鉴真 (687 – 763 AD) Monk spreads the word in Japan
包拯 (999 – 1062) Iconic official who’s incorruptible
王安石 (1021 – 1068) Statesman with a gift for writing
岳飞 (1103 – 1142) A peerless general and national hero
文天祥 1236 – 1283) Hero stays loyal to the bitter end
郑和 (1371 – 1433) Did the admiral discover the New World?
海瑞 (1514 – 1587) Moral official dares to criticize emperor
戚继光 (1528 – 1588)‘Tiger General’ stops Japanese pirates
徐霞客 (1586 – 1641) Intrepid explorer keeps a meticulous diary
郑成功 1624 – 1662) A national hero who recaptures Taiwan
李自成 (1606 – 1645) Shortsighted military genius
林则徐 (1785 – 1850) Patriotic official fights the opium trade
龚自珍 (1792 – 1841) A reform-minded official and poet
李鸿章 (1823 – 1901) Powerful official invites controversy
严复 (1854 – 1921) Educator pushes for modernization
康有为 (1858 – 1927) Reformer tries to change China
蔡元培 (1868 – 1940) Educator supports civil rights movement
陶行知 (1891 – 1946) A great educator and reformer
黄帝 (The Yellow Emperor reign 2697 – 2597 BC) Father of this great civilization
大禹 (circa ? – 2062 BC) Taming the long and wild rivers of China
秦始皇 (259 – 210 BC) The ‘First Emperor’ of China
刘邦 (256 – 195 BC) Founder of the powerful Han Dynasty
汉武帝 (Emperor Wu of Han 156 – 87 BC) Insatiable ambition for territorial expansion
曹操 (155 – 220 AD) Speak of his name and he arrives
李世民 (599 – 649 AD) Creator of a dynastic golden age
武则天 624 – 705 AD) The only empress regnant in China’s history
成吉思汗 (Genghis Khan 1162 – 1227) Founder of the world’s largest empire
朱元璋 (1328 – 1398) From a beggar to an emperor
康熙 (Emperor Kangxi 1654 – 1722) Longest reign brings prosperity
慈禧太后 (Empress Dowager Cixi 1835 – 1908) Mysterious ‘Queen without a Crown’