Zhu Xi
1130–1200 · Chinese (Fujian) · Song Dynasty
Known for: The architect of Neo-Confucianism — rebuilt Chinese civilization after Buddhism threatened to replace it
Zhu Xi synthesized centuries of Confucian thought into Neo-Confucianism, creating the intellectual framework that dominated Chinese, Korean, Japanese, and Vietnamese thought for 700 years. His commentaries on the Four Books became the basis of the imperial examination system.
Browse all 1,000 figures by category
Enable JavaScript to view the full "if they lived today" Q&A and personality profile.