River in Peace: The Biography of Pan Jiuxun, Series of Biographies of Famous Figures in Zhejiang Culture

Author: Ma Xueqin
Publisher:
Publishing Date: Not available
Features: The ancient Yellow River, with its vast embrace, has nurtured the splendid Chinese culture for thousands of years; the beautiful Yellow River, with its sweet milk, has fed generations of outstanding Yellow River children; the mighty Yellow River, with its vast waves, has trained and forged heroic figures who bravely faced floods, with Pan Jiyun of the Ming Dynasty being a prominent example. Pan Jiyun, styled Shiliang, styled Yinchuan, was from Huzhou, Zhejiang. He was born in the 16th year of the Zhengde era of the Ming Dynasty (1521) and died in the 23rd year of the Wanli era (1595), at the age of 75. Throughout his life, he was entrusted four times to govern the river, a total of 27 years. During his decade-long actual career in water management, he diligently studied, thought deeply, continuously absorbed and summarized the water management experience of predecessors, and innovated based on his own practices, forming a systematic "theory of controlling water with dikes and using water to attack silt." He also established comprehensive and meticulous measures and systems for dike construction and protection. His water management ideas and practices had a profound impact on his later activities, becoming an irreducible standard. Today, hundreds of years later, studying Pan Jiyun's water management ideas, theories, and practices still holds significant practical and reference value. Especially his sense of responsibility for water management, his tireless dedication, his selfless spirit of "growing in this place, aging in this place, working in the morning, and working at night"; his scientific attitude of "gathering public opinion or witnessing firsthand," being pragmatic, daring to practice, and continuously innovating; his strong will to stand firm against power and various "speculative opinions," refusing to yield or give in, and daring to uphold the truth, have inspired and guided generations of Yellow River management workers, becoming a valuable spiritual wealth of the Chinese nation. A tranquil Yellow River is the beautiful dream of the people of Pan Jiyun's time and those before and after. Pan Jiyun was the person who devoted his entire life to realizing this dream. In addition to water management, Pan Jiyun held various official positions, including the Assistant Magistrate of Jiujiang Prefecture in Jiangxi, the Censor of Henan, the Surveillance Commissioner of Guangdong, the Supervisor of Education in Shuntianfu, the Vice Chancellor of the Imperial Court, the Vice Minister of Justice, the Governor of Jiangxi, the Minister of Works, the Minister of War in Nanjing, the Minister of Justice, the Assistant Censor-in-Chief, the Vice Censor-in-Chief, and the Censor-in-Chief, "achieving notable results in all his posts." In Jiujiang, he overturned wrongful convictions and reformed the post system; in Guangdong, he implemented the equalization law, reducing the burden on the people, becoming a model for the reform of southern Ming Dynasty's tax and labor system; in Jiangxi, he fully demonstrated his administrative talents and achieved brilliant results; in his tenure as Supervisor of Education in Shuntianfu, as a judge in the Imperial Court, as Minister of War in Nanjing, and as Minister of Justice in Beijing, he made significant contributions. Throughout his governance, he always cared about the suffering of the people and considered the interests of the state, ensuring that the people benefited and the state thrived. The Pan Gong Bridge, which he funded to build, was rebuilt during the Qing Dynasty and still spans both banks of the Longxi River in the center of Huzhou City today, silently narrating the story of this ancient figure. The Zhejiang Academy of Social Sciences has included Pan Jiyun as one of the hundred historical and cultural figures of the province, writing a biography to promote his deeds and spirit in modern times and pass them down to future generations, becoming a driving force for people's striving and progress. This book is written based on this principle, hoping to achieve this goal.