Yuan Kewen

Yuan Kewen was a Chinese scholar and calligrapher.
Yuan's courtesy name was Baocen. Yuan is also known by the sobriquet Hanyun.

Early life

Yuan was born in 1890 in Hanseong, Korea. His father was Yuan Shikai, a Chinese official who later became President of China in the 1910s. Yuan's Korean mother was Lady Gim, his father's third Korean concubine born in Hanseong, Korea. Yuan's elder brother was Prince Yuan Keding. Zhang Boju was Yuan Kewen's cousin and close friend.

Career

Yuan was an expert of Chinese traditional literature and a master of calligraphy and Ink [wash painting|Chinese ink painting]. He excelled in poetry and lyrics and was obsessed in collecting fine arts and antiques. He was against his father's revival of the monarchy and also lived a promiscuous life, which irritated his father. Yuan fled to the foreign concession of Shanghai and joined a gang of thugs. He recruited many disciples in Shanghai and Tianjin.

Personal life

Yuan married Liu Meizhen. In addition to his wife, Yuan had five concubines, Qing Yunlou, Xiao Taohong, Tang Zhijun, Yu Peiwen, and Yaxian. Yuan also had numerous mistresses.
Yuan had four sons and three daughters, and all of them were scholars. Yuan's third son, Luke Chia-Liu Yuan, was a renowned high-energy physicist.
In 1931, Yuan died of a sudden illness in Tianjin.
He is also known for research on the paper tiger game and he wrote《雀谱》.