Origins & Early Life

Wang Bo (Chinese: 王勃; Wade–Giles: Wang Po; 650–676), courtesy name Zi'an (子安), was a Chinese poet during the Tang dynasty, traditionally grouped together with Luo Binwang, Lu Zhaolin, and Yang Jiong as the Four Paragons of the Early Tang. He died at the age of 26, possibly from drowning, while going back from the Tang-ruled Jiaozhi after meeting his father. He opposed the spread of the Gong Ti Style (宫体诗风) of the Sui dynasty, and advocated a style rich in emotions. He was most well-known for his parallel prose work Tengwang Ge Xu, which is included in the Chinese middle school curriculum.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Wang Bo was born in A.D 650 into a family with high literary status. His grandfather was the Sui dynasty Confucian philosopher Wang Tong. His father was named Wang Fuzhi (王福畤). According to the Old Book of Tang, Wang Bo could write poems when he was six years old; he finished reading the Classics when he was ten. Beginning his career under Prince Pei (Prince Zhanghuai), he wrote a call-to-arms (檄) in jest which was criticized by the emperor (Emperor Gaozong of Tang).

Enduring Legacy & Impact

After that, he killed a servant, ending his political career. This incident also implicated his father, who was banished to...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Abd al-Rahman ibn Abd Allah al-Ghafiqi — Contemporary (Born in 650) (650): Umayyad commander who led Andalusian forces against the Franks, dying at Tours.
• Bāṇabhaṭṭa — Contemporary (Died in 650) (650): A seminal 7th-century Sanskrit poet and prose writer, celebrated for courtly literature.
• Jabir ibn Zayd — Contemporary (Born in 650) (650): Founding scholar of the Ibadis, a major early Islamic theologian and jurist.
• Emperor Taizong of Tang — Contemporary figure (Died in 649) (649): Co-founder of the Tang Dynasty, whose reign marked a golden age in Chinese history.
• Ubayy ibn Ka'b — Contemporary figure (Died in 649) (649): Esteemed companion of Prophet Muhammad, known for compiling the Quranic codex.
• Abu Dharr al-Ghifari — Contemporary figure (Died in 651) (651): Pious companion of the Prophet Muhammad, known for asceticism and early Islamic socialism.
• Bhartṛhari — Contemporary figure (Died in 651) (651): Pioneering Indian philosopher and grammarian who systematized linguistic monism.
• Abu al-Darda — Contemporary figure (Died in 652) (652): Prominent Companion (Sahabi) of Prophet Muhammad, renowned Quranic scholar and first Qadi of Damascus.
• Yazdegerd III — Contemporary figure (Died in 652) (652): The final Sasanian King, whose reign marked the end of pre-Islamic Iranian imperial rule.
• Harsha — Contemporary figure (Died in 647) (647): Great Emperor of Kannauj, whose reign marked a zenith of power in Northern India.
• 650 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 650
• 676 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 676