The Characteristics and Significance of Gu Zhi’s Annotations and Research on the Poetry of Wei and Jin Dynasties
Authors: Chen Rubi 
Published: May 2023

All his life, Gu Zhi was interested in the literature research of Han, Wei and six Dynasties, especially focusing on the annotated Wei and Jin poems. His imagination and interpretation of Wei Jin is centered on Wei Jin poetry notes, including Wei Jin poetry notes as evidence, poetry creation as dictionaries, and business interests as righteous people. The academic path embodied in the poetry of Guzhi Wei and Jin With the characteristics of traditional scripture “commenting on scripture and making notes”, academic resources are immersed in the essence of classical scripture and history under the system of classical scripture and history, and academic vision hovers under the overall style of integrating the old and the new. Further expanding this Wei-Jin poetry activity will touch the Wei-Jin complex that is fashionable among the Republic of China.

Gu Zhi (1885-1959), character Gongyu, trumpet layer ice, Yuan, Zhengfu, Gusheng.Pangxi, Longwen Township, Mei County, Guangdong villagers. His life is scattered in many literary and historical materials, and his son Gu Chengye’s “Outline of the Genealogy of Gu Zhi Nian” is the most detailed record of his life process.

Gu Zhi was born into a poor family and lived in poverty at an early age, but according to his early wisdom, he studied his own. At the age of 16, he went to Xingning to learn from Mr. Luo Yiyun, a suru who was “very good to Mr. Luo”, and saw Mr. Luo’s collection of books such as “Zhaoming Wenxuan” and “Zizhi Tongjian”, especially “Wenxuan”, which laid the foundation for later intensive study of the literature of the Six Dynasties of Han and Wei. In 1906, he joined the “Chinese League Association” and since then has followed Dr. Sun Yat-sen to actively carry out democratic revolutionary activities. In November 1911, Gu Zhi, Zhong Dong and others organized an uprising in Meicheng and recovered Meixian in one fell swoop. In the following ten years, Gu Zhi was engaged in revolutionary propaganda and government affairs, and vigorously established schools. In 1921, he went to Lushan Jiangxi Province in February to build a grass house, named “Ge Taozhai”, and leisurely had the intention of returning to seclusion. During this period, he wrote three volumes of “Wang Rongfu Wenji”, one volume of “Zhuge Wuhou Annals”, four volumes of “Tao Jingjie Poems”, and one volume of “Tao Jingjie Poems and Notes”, together with other poetry works, collected into twelve volumes of “Wuwen Collection”. The book of seclusion, which is becoming more and more mature academically. During the Great Revolution, he was employed as a professor at Guangdong University. In 1926, Guangdong University changed its name for Sun Yat-sen University. In 1928, he was invited by Sun Yat-sen University to return to the university to preside over the Chinese department, where he remained until 1938. During this period, he wrote “Cao ZiJian poetry Notes” “Ruan Si Zong Yong Huai Poetry Notes” “Five Types of Layer Ice Hall”. After the fall of Guangzhou in 1938, Gu Zhi returned to his hometown, resumed Meinan Middle School, served as the principal, created the Meinan Literature Museum, publicized the War of Resistance, and covered the revolutionary activities of the Communist Party. After the liberation of Guangzhou, he was first employed as a counselor of the provincial counsellor’s office, and later became a librarian of the provincial museum of culture and history and a member of the provincial CPPCC. After that, Gu Zhi enthusiastically praised the construction of New China, wrote “Liberation of Poetry Banknotes”, and prepared to rearrange the old works. He died of illness in Guangzhou in 1959 at the age of 74. From the 20s to the 50s of the 20th century, Gu Zhi lasted for more than thirty years, focusing on Wei and Jin poetry notes, and worked hard. Gu Zhi’s notes on Wei and Jin poetry mainly focus on the poems of Cao Zijian, Ruan Zhi and Tao Yuanming, especially the comprehensive study of Tao Yuanming, which can be said to have exhausted his life’s energy.