Zheng Xie
Chinese, 1693 - 1765
Person TypeIndividual
BiographyA native of Xinghua, in Jiangsu province, Zheng Xie was classically educated and followed the expected path of the scholar gentry. He obtained the highest degree in the imperial examination system and served in the imperial bureaucracy. His last posting was as magistrate of two districts in Shandong province. His biography states he was dismissed from this post due to a dispute with local authorities over aiding the victims of natural disasters (such statements are often included in biographies to emphasize the individuals moral values). Following his dismissal, he returned to Yangzhou, a wealthy city near his home town, where he made a living by selling his paintings.