Residence Shanghai Name Lu Simian Influenced Ch'ien Mu, Yang Kuan | Citizenship Chinese Role Historian | |
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Born 27 February 1884
Wujin, Jiangsu, China ( 1884-02-27 ) Fields ancient Chinese history Institutions East China Normal University Died October 9, 1957, Shanghai, China Institution East China Normal University Similar People Ch'ien Mu, Zhu Xi, Confucius | ||
Lu Simian (Chinese: 呂思勉; pinyin: Lu Simian; February 27, 1884 – October 9, 1957) was a prominent Chinese historian as well as a former professor and history department head at Kwang Hua University, a predecessor of the East China Normal University in Shanghai. Lu took the courtesy name Chengzhi (诚之) and wrote under the pseudonym Nuniu (驽牛). His students included famous historians Ch'ien Mu and Yang Kuan. Historian Yan Gengwang (严耕望) considered Lu one of the four greatest modern Chinese historians, along with his student Ch'ien Mu, Chen Yuan, and Chen Yinke.
In 1926 Lu was invited to teach at Kwang Hua University by his friend and the school's headmaster Qian Jibo (钱基博). Lu remained at the school, which later became part of East China Normal University, until his death.
Lu was born in Wujin (now Wujin district of Changzhou city) in China's Jiangsu province. At the age of 15 he entered the county school. In the second year he began teaching himself history. He later became a member of the Doubting Antiquity School which was a group of scholars and writers who showed doubts regarding the authenticity of pre-Qin texts.
His former residence in Changzhou is a protected property open to the public, offering numerous artifacts from his life displayed in the restored building.